'Increase' in ASD/ADHD

[Sunsnet]

There are a lot of discussion at the moment on this subject and many people who believe that people are faking these conditions in themself or their children. This makes it very difficult for those with these diagnoses to be taken seriously and feels like a massive attack and dismissal of their genuine struggles so shouldn't the question actually be, why is there a massive increase in Munchausen's and Munchausen's by Proxy (child abuse)?

Oh that awful program again. It was a very poor experiment with obvious bias. It’s going to be held up forever as a ‘gotcha’ when it should be absolutely disregarded as a load of badly executed tosh.

@Catza As my last line says, "your autism is not insignificant."

As for your idea that autistic people are advised to "keep quiet" I disagree.
If anything the media is currently full of documentaries, reality shows, celebs "coming out" as autistic and social media about those with (for lack of a better term) "high functioning" autism. There is zero presence or attention on those like my child.

I've had to keep quiet / hide my Autism because of the reaction of others. I know I'm not alone in that.

@Spikeyball
Actually there is. For severe autism it's becoming more common in the USA to medicate with anti psychotics there are a few cases here in the UK too I personally know a family this applies to. However this only applies to severe autism that would be obvious to the eyes of even the most judgemental stranger so doesn't really apply to this thread about people allegedly faking it
Thanks

Posting again because I didn't tag the first time

I work in SEND. I come across A LOT of children and young people with diagnoses of ASD and ADHD. A complete mix of NHS and private diagnoses. I have never once come across a single child or YP where there was any suspicion they don’t actually have ASD or ADHD. Any “over diagnosis” is tiny in number, if it is happening at all (which I don’t believe it is).

Ah I think I remember that. Which bits were poorly done?

@TigerRag just curious but how do you hide your autism?
My adult son has autism and he has no idea how to hide the person he is. Or even realises how he is different and what he needs to do to fit in.

Tbh I don't really understand masking my son is autistic no matter what the situation is.

Massive leap.

-Increase in diagnosis of genuine cases - yes
-Increase in self-diagnosis (due to long waiting lists/financial constraints) - yes
-Individuals/their parents keen to ensure definition and support to treat/manage difficult symptoms - yes
-increase of ADHD symptoms like burnout, hyper stimulation, overwhelm, difficulty concentrating, bot as a result of AFHD but other factors (digital devices/screen time/modern kife/anxiety and depression, hormones (puberty and peri/meno)
-Unscrupulous clinics - yes

Why do you think it was biased? (Genuine interest)

That’s what I’m saying though? People are saying they are ASD / ADHD and expecting certain levels of support without any assessment having taken place. Literally 3/4 of my DC class would say their child has ASD or ADHD but only a few have been assessed or even been to the GP.

Some people with ASD mask and some don’t. Generalising here but in my experience it’s tended to be those with so called ‘high functioning autism’ that mask.

Once again, I was replying to a specific comment by a specific individual on this specific thread which is what I quoted and addressed in my original comment. I am not by any means generalising to what is happening in the outside world at large. However, I agree with @TigerRag in that many people I come across do indeed hide their diagnosis from others. Especially in the workplace and do experience unfavorable reactions and discrimination when they don't. Not everyone, but many do. And it is not exclusive to ND diagnoses.

Yes it could be hyperlexia but she is generally pretty clever.

The school and schools generally in uk are not helping.
Where kids may be able to mask.
But even our school went to 60 kids. Just too many as they were free flow... She was ok in the transition week when only 30.
No monitoring of the kids in playground or help socialising.
Rigidity sticking to curriculum so expect dc was bored. Even storytime they are on a carpet stuck together cant see the book.
Starting at 4yo rather than 5. But also more focus on handwriting when they are too young.

Generally kids are having to compromise at home less. Fewer sibs and own devices. And playing together less.

I would say the stand outs of milder asd are -
Less interest in going to parties/meeting up with friends at weekends
More likely to be at park looking at bugs or on swings alone
Issues in all serting incl clubs
As get older less independent than same age kids so no going off to park with friends or supermarket, more likely parents to keep collecting from school.
Some kids dramatic meltdown after school if youve forgotten something.
More fighting with siblings.
Hard to get out of the house if they dont want to get ready. Even if they want to go to that place.
The school refusal can really impact life.

Dd2 is i think also asd but currently it doesnt impact her as much. She has some friends. Does sometimes want to go places with them. Has after school meltdowns. But is ok in school. Sensory issues with socks. Generally the teachers like her. (They hate dd1 and she knows it). We did have huge flare up with dd2 this summer though and even my parents did notice.. A lot of sensory stuff is only done at home teeth hair socks lotions.

I think though it would be relatively easy to present info at assessment in the way you know would get diagnosis or over exaggerating issues.

I do know a asd kid who presents more as just very shy. They can go out with friends and are relatively popular. I am surprised at diagnosis. No issues at school no rigidity and teachers like them. Go off fine to overnight stays.

Neuro divergent people meet other Neuro divergent people . they fall in love and have babies.

Sometimes they have babies with NTs and some of those babies are ND.

Thus, the ND population grows.

I know two children with ASD diagnoses who I personally would never have taken to be assessed. That's not to say they don't meet the requirements for assessment but personally if they were my children I would never have thought they were autistic.

They also have a clever, articulate mother who was very able to explain exactly why and how they meet a diagnosis of ASD. She was able to fight for and get an EHCP for the youngest starting school, with full time 1:1 support for him. A year or so later she was quite cross when she found out the 1:1 was being used as a general class TA and not just for him. But of course she wasn't. He was able to join in fully in class, he easily made friends, he had no issues at dinner or play time. It would have done him a disservice to insist he stayed with his TA at all times.

Meanwhile I knew two other children the same age who were more or less non verbal, couldn't form friendships, couldn't join in with class activities and basically just wanted to run laps of the classroom but they did not have such confident mothers who were able to push for EHCPs and so they were both initially turned down and started school without them.

So I do think some parents do push for and receive diagnoses when other parents might just accept that all children at times have little quirks.

@AnySoln my DD could be the one you describe as being surprised at their diagnosis.
DD has friends, they all have their own quirks though, MH challenges, medical problems, Adhd, tourettes, autism. They meet up on their own terms, often splinter off into sub groups and are overall very supportive of each other, they've spent the summer at the park, Beach and local theme park. DD is well liked by all her teachers, she is compliant and incredibly clever.

To an outsider she has no issues at school. But that is because I dont discuss DDs challenges, that outsider doesn't see her motor tics and having to sit in the car whilst everyone else goes in on a stressful day, that outsider doesn't see the Sendco/pastoral team pick her up from reception so she doesn't have to go to form, that outsider doesn't see that she has a toilet pass to access the separate toilets with no hand dryers, that outsider doesn't see her in the library at lunch with her noise cancelling headphones on to regulate before afternoon lessons, that outsider doesn't see her at home sat in silence for 2+ hrs just to get over the school day. That outsider doesnt see that DD loves going to her friends for sleepovers but cannot abide the thought of doing it in our home in her space, even though she'd like to. So instead I book a caravan out of season so she and her friends can stay there as its not 'her' space. That outsider doesn't see that just because she doesn't have meltdowns that instead she internalise everything and has shutdowns instead which can lead to burn out pretty sharpish. Whilst DDs friends parents know she has autism they would never see the signs and we/I don't share DDs information (at least not when it's not anonymous).

Times are bleak. Adults are suffering. Kids are suffering.

I think the 24/7 news we have nowadays is probably fuelling anxiety in everyone.
This wasn’t a available in the past. People bought a daily newspaper/ kids watched ?newsround occasionally.
And news was about Britain with the odd mention of other disasters.I would guess we get a couple disasters a week now and global warming and now war almost daily. it’s implied that we need to do something -can help when it used to be a remote country we knew little about.
And now children are on constant information streams with few breaks.
It’s not surprising anxiety levels are up.

So I do think some parents do push for and receive diagnoses when other parents might just accept that all children at times have little quirks.

I have no idea how you think a mother could hoodwink a multidisciplinary panel, do you have any experience of the process that a child has to go through for a diagnosis. They do NOT just take the mothers word no matter how persuasive.

Intelligence and persistence does play a factor in the EHCP process, unfortunately. Some parents are too quick to give up and deregister children because of the barriers that are put in parents way.

If that child has a 1:1 then there is evidence that they needed it otherwise the child wouldn't have one.

You have no idea of what the child's needs actually are, just a snap shot of what you see a child with early intervention. It is the fact that the child has had early intervention that means that they have progressed better with those who haven't had the fortune of having that!

I think thats true amy.
Also personality of the child plays a part.
Rigidity can be seen as naughty.
Running laps of classroom looks like adhd but may not be.
D2 was a bolter and if the school were unlocked or nursery then she might have run off there.
Neither were safe around roads for years but again not something school would know.

The more obvious child - the one in class photo either sat with teacher or away almost off the photo. Who couldnt join in on school performances - off to the side or wouldnt sing or mime.

Diet and lack of exercise is probably causing some symptoms that look like adhd.

I think for the child though everyones assumption that they can control themself is what is most damaging.

There would be people who saw or heard me describe my nearly 6 year old and believe the same. He is globally delayed with his autism, he is cognitively around 24 months old (this is from numerous assessments).

I have friends/family members with autistic children, I'm not talking about children with a diagnosis here.
Bear in mind the children I have mentioned as parents letting the children do whatever they want and saying "he has ADHD" when challenged, I've watched how they have been parented. There has never been a single attempt to parent them at all, they are varying ages 16 - 7, and no actual assessments at any point in life. They just say they have ADHD or ASD. They don't, and it is unfair on those who do struggle to parent their ASD children sometimes and it undermines their reality.

I think what people don't realise is that we're all on the spectrum. Every single one of us has traits. So of these traits will be on a very long list of traits that can help diagnose autism etc. Depending on where on the spectrum you are, you may have more or less of the traits on the list than someone else.

It's up to the experts to decide if you have enough traits to require a diagnosis. A diagnosis can help you to understand yourself/your child and to put things in place to help them. That's all it's for.

I'm really really pleased more people are getting the help they need, but I do switch off and assume a person has a tiktok addiction when they talk about ADHD, Trauma and narcissism a lot.

That's a complete misunderstanding of what "the spectrum" is. The only people on the autism spectrum are autistic people.

It's not a question of having "enough traits to require a diagnosis". The requirements for a positive diagnosis are very, very specific.

PLEASE, for the love of god, will some of you learn what a spectrum is! It is not a linear scale or gradient!

If "we're all on the spectrum" why is it a diagnosis?

You either have it or you don't.