'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)?

Would you call a physical disability a label?

Do you have concerns about the legitimacy of your own child's diagnosis if the process was so bad?

Have you asked for them to be reassessed?

Because presumably you may be wrong about your child's diagnosis too.

Westernesse

You did, hence the post being deleted. Posts don’t get deleted because other posters simply don’t like them. Aside from being ableist it was also offensive which is enough to warrant deletion.

"“Masking” is a very convenient catch all which means that absolutely anyone can be diagnosed with anything." Utter bollocks.

Nothing that you are saying rings true at all. How old is your child? Why did you go along with this? Why did you not ask for a second opinion?

@Westernesse so you are a disbeliever of degree educated teaching professionals and medical professionals and of your child’s diagnosis and others diagnosed/seeking diagnosis..

Thats alright, you can hand back all the DLA money then if it’s all such a farce.

What’s that your say? No?

Ah thought not 🙄

We just spot it better now

No, the increase in diagnosis is because it was chronically undiagnosed before.

Its also possible there’s been some fake diagnoses at private clinics as highlighted by panorama.

Had this discussion with senco that the majority of parents come in disbelieving of problems and saying “nope, not my child, you’re wrong”. They fight against the teachers, the medical people involved, the diagnosis, everything because they don’t want to face their child is disabled and will be for life.

She said it was refreshing to have a parent with a can do attitude, supporting of the school and knowledgeable about autism. As having to fight the parents makes it more of an uphill struggle and thwarts the child’s progression.

@Westernesse if you are so doubtful your child has autism then get a second opinion. But to my mind if the school and medical assessment are in agreement it’s likely a second assessment will be also.

Please don’t be so disdainful of autistic people. Getting a diagnosis was one of the hardest things I’ve had to face and immeasurably painful to go through.

FWIW I think masking could also be framed as socialisation or conformity, which is what the vast majority of NT wind up doing eventually and is not without its toll for many of them too.

The inconvenient truth is some people push for diagnosis for theit children for MONEY.

The real cash in claiming benefits comes from premiums and enhanced PIP

And my bingo card is full!

This is always trotted out, but the truth is that a diagnosis alone isn’t enough to provide evidence of needs that leads to a DLA award. You need evidence from OT, SALT, school, paediatrician, anyone else involved. Not enough evidence to back up the claim, no award.

Ds had several private OT sessions - I literally wasn’t allowed to be a part of it (as is standard round here), so his very thorough assessment had zero input from me.

DLA (and PIP) are incredibly hard to get, the odds are stacked against a child getting it. I don’t believe (having completed several forms in the last decade) that you could fake it.

Can you explain how you get enhanced pip just by having a diagnosis of Autism? You've clearly never filled in a form or been through an interrogation assessment for PIP

That is a personal attack and a clear breach of the rules.

My child is thriving. Why would I want to change anything now?

and for the poster who made the snide remark that I should hand the DLA money back, that’s odd, I thought nobody every did it for the DLA money. Which is it?

honestly, like I give a feck about a few hundred quid a month versus my child’s well-being. Deary me.

Also, I am not disdainful of autistic people. It is offensive to me that you have said that to me. You have done so with no basis whatsoever.

No. Are you going to engage with the substance of what I said to you?

I didn’t focus on my child having autism for money I focused on it to save her life. Actually We were strongly advised to apply for pip by Cahms and other professionals who sent letters. The enhanced bit actually isn’t t for her autism but for another condition she has too.

Do you know I sometimes feel like I get a bit of imposter syndrome with my younger DC who is on mid rate DLA, until it comes to filling out forms and getting all of the medical evidence together that goes with doing that and I realise that it's completely insane to think she isn't entitled to benefits.

Her life is so different from other children the same age, in almost every way. So much harder. Most of her struggles are invisible to any onlooker but that doesn't mean they are not real or don't exist. Her diagnosis report was devastating because it clearly set out how she was not like most 9 year old and that comes with the realisation that she will need additional support in one way or another for the rest of her life.

Without independent evidence of how a person struggles an autistic person will be declined for DLA and/ or PIP. Many are declined EVEN with evidence because the particular assessor doesn't understand the benefits rules & then on top of having a disabled child and all of the additional expenses and emotional toil that brings to families you also have to fight for what they are entitled to.

Such ignorance and ableism in one post.

I didn't ask if your child is thriving. I am glad they are. It's great they can now access support.

I asked why you have such faith that you child's diagnosis is correct when you appear so disdainful of other children who have been diagnosed using the same process and claim that those diagnoses are not?

Do you not see the hypocrisy in your position. Your child's alright but others are faking it?

Maybe we're just taking over the world.
There is a school of thought that describes us autistics as the next evolution.
(Ducks for cover)

This reminds me a bit of when my DS was first diagnosed. I was desperate for the clinical psychologist to reassure me that his autism was mild.

He turned round and said ' Mrs Life' your child can't attend school because it's too overwhelming and has been trying to kill himself, that's not very mild is it? ..... '

I'd happily give back every penny of DLA for my child to have had a normal childhood and for me not to have had to give up my career which paid way more than mid rate DLA to keep my child safe at home rather than killing himself.

You asked why I am not seeing for my child to be reassessed. I answered your question. That is the answer. You don’t get to choose the answer.

I am not absolutely confident in the diagnosis but I am frankly past caring as long as he is doing well, which he is. So it is the right outcome, in that sense.

So do you think your child is autistic or don't you?

Do you think that the process has resulted in the correct diagnosis?

It is a bold claim to say that the process was right for your DC but is wrong for other children when you actually know nothing about their lives other than what you see on the surface. Presumably if your child is autistic you will be aware that they can present differently at home than in public or even in school?

Actually I've just re-read your post and it seems to be that you are not sure whether the child is autistic or not but you don't care either because your child is getting support.

Has it occurred to you that if autism interventions are working for your DC it is evidence that that diagnosis is right?

I hope you don't let your DC know your doubts, how traumatic it would be for them that your DC that their parent doubts their disability.

I'm just interested why:

a) you took them to be diagnosed in the first place?
b) you haven't put in an official complaint about the shortcomings of the original diagnosis?

c) you haven't sought a second opinion?

This is AIBU before you start saying that I am being unreasonable. If you are going to start making bold claims about diagnoses being inaccurate you should be able to back them up and explain why you have an 'I'm alright Jack to your DC's diagnoses' whilst claiming that those of others are unreliable or false?