Do many people think that ADHD is not real?

[Ilovecranberries]

Was having remote drinks with a friend and his wife yesterday. She's a secondary school teacher in a quite "rough" school (not in the UK). I was quite surprised when, discussing something quite abstract about how different people think and react differently, she had said quite breezily that the majority of teachers she knows "don't believe" in the existence of ADHD.
Incidentally, one of my children is currently being assessed for it, but it is not news that I had shared socially outside of my immediate family. I wasn't offended, but I wonder if it is actually a widespread view behind the closed doors?

@wedswench

I wonder if those saying it's over diagnosed have actually experienced trying to get an assessment for a child

Bloody EXACTLY THIS. We have just received a diagnosis for our daughter. It involved four consults with an child educational psychologist, a report from the school, an interview with us, completion of Connors 3 questionnaires by school and us, and an appointment with a paediatrician. We had it done privately - because it takes bloody forever (12 months plus) to have it done on the public system even assuming you can get an initial appointment - and it cost over £600 in total for all of the appointments.

Over-diagnosed my arse.

@AntiSocialDistancer

I'm not racist but

I believe ADHD is real but

So depressing.

Totally. Really sad.

@Bythemillpond

im sure its real , but i dont believe its as genuinely common as it is now . i cant help but wonder why back in the say 1940s and 50s there werent loads of kids suffering from it

There were.

I'm honestly fed up explain this to people. Yes there were and they were taken out of school, sent to special school, were seen as naughty kids, were home schooled, perhaps their ADHD wasn't as obvious because they weren't triggered by the sensory overload that we have nowadays with cars/screens/noise/information everywhere.

What happened to a lot of these undiagnosed and untreated children is that they went on to suffer with mental health problems, addiction problems, became criminals etc. I am not saying they ALL did before someone jumps down my throat, but there is a worrying statistic on the percentage of prisoners that have been diagnosed with ADHD.

There are structural brain differences, and delayed development of some areas of the brain in people with ADHD. Massive study was done in India a few years ago.
It may occasionally be misdiagnosed. I've known people quick to think kids are dyslexic when it may just be they aren't great at spelling.
But it's real. Adults and children live with it.
I don't think many teachers would say they don't believe it exists at all.

My DD is ASC and ADHD- inattentive..so very shy and quiet and struggles to follow instructions and gets very anxious. As teacher I have seen the term over used to explain poor behaviour, but I have worked with many children who definitely have ADHD. And No it isn't ASC, but many people have both.

@MintyMabel

because their child's behaviour at school is excellent.

This is the best example of how teaching staff just don’t get it.

Everyone knows all children behave differently at home than at school. DD is NT, and when I tell teachers how she is at home, they smile and sympathise and tell me everyone behaves better at school. They don’t judge me, or tell me I’m lying, or suggest I am a bad parent. And yet, the very same teachers deny my friend’s suggestion that her son melts down as soon as he gets home. They tell her outright that she must be doing something wrong if that is actually happening. They refuse to give him support at school because there just isn’t any evidence of any problem. Her word isn’t as good as mine, because she has a non NT child. Why is that?

When completing reports, teachers can only comment on what they observe. That is what all the ADHD questionnaires ask them. They can believe the parent but they can only write down what they see in school.

In terms of it being over diagnosed, I do believe you are more likely to have a diagnosis as a summer born boy, which suggests doctors don't get it right every time. (Not looking for a link at this time in the evening and happy to be told otherwise but I believe that's the case).

I'm not convinced by the theory of delayed development being correctly interpreted. Imo it's more akin to the way a child raised bilingual will be slightly behind when first learning to talk. They aren't delayed talkers per se, just having to take far more in.

Eg in my memories of primary school completely insignificant details are just as vivid as anything I was actually taught. Other dc might recall their best friends new pencil case, where their other friends sat, the teachers name etc as background to the lesson, when you don't have a filter you take everything in with equal importance. The bottom leaves of the spider plant on the windowsill being slightly yellow, the hello kitty pencil topper 3 desks forward being slightly angled, Mrs x having a new glasses case and a hundred other irrelevant details are just as clear as her explanation of column addition. And that's a shitload of information to take in and process.

I'm lucky, I have a good memory and found the academic side of school easy. It was also a fairly relaxed school that suited me. That lack of filter has mainly been advantageous. I could recall shit in exams with associated memories, and career wise it's a bonus. But for a child with an average to good memory, or one that can't sail through school with 5% concentration on what they are being taught it's not surprising if they appear delayed. It's the equivalent of raising a child fluent in 50 languages by talking to them in a mix of all 50 every day and then describing them as delayed because their English is behind their peers. Or worse still, badly behaved, failures, unmotivated etc with parents just wanting a label' because if they just tried a bit harder they could speak English fluently like everyone else.

It seems to be a thing at the moment, no sen exists!

I definitely know many teachers /people do not think dyslexia exists.
Many teachers have no sen training, it's a huge gap in education and is being slowly, too slowly addressed

@bumblingbovine49

not autism, it is attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder.

There is growing evidence that the two are related and often overlap.

Yes, but still, ADHD is not autism. I'm autistic, DH and DS2 have ADHD.

It absolutely exists.
It's really difficult to get a diagnosis.
It's devastating and a superpower in equal measure.

There're countless a
Undiagnosed adults walking around and struggling with their brains.

I have met quite a few (arts professional) people who are unconventional, creative, stubborn, charismatic, clever and inspirational. Also da get-seeking loose canons with self-medicating tendencies.

On more than one occasion I have told them they have Adhd (in the right context of a conversation if it came up). On at least two occasions that person has gone on to a diagnosis.

I have a DS with a diagnosis that took years to go through CAMHS and a DH who was DX as an adult.