Anyone else noticing the uptick in open hostility towards people with ASD?

[FFSakeDrinkSake]

As the title says. It feels like it's open season recently. In the last few weeks alone I've seen many threads questioning the validity of Asd, the credentials of those diagnosing the condition, the 'explosion' of diagnosis', the 'fact' that you qualify for extra benefits if you are autistic and/or have ADHD, the apparent drain on resources kids with ASD have on the educational sector depriving others and most recently the idea that someone (self diagnosed) can 'outgrow' autism. Most of which contain the worst misinformation about what we're trying to deal with on a daily basis and making it sound like we're just trying to .. i dont even know tbh.. scam our way through life?

Disclaimer NATAAT.

@Againlosinghope I agree and don't think it's right to detail every detail of someone's needs as shown in the cancer discussion.

I tend to say profound autism for my son and if people still seem unsure I'll say classical autism not aspergers which usually gets the point across.

Those who deny that this is happening are actually doing no favours to people who do actually have a real diagnosis!

I think some posters are suffering from excessive exclamation mark disorder.

Sarcasm when you can think of nothing sensible to say

They should still be reported to their governing body if they are giving out diagnosises for cash

Who's going to report them? Certainly not the parents who have paid them to say what they need them to say.

there is nothing stopping you reporting them

We have a real diagnosis!

We deal with this every bloody day and people doubting us, saying we just paid for a diagnosis is bloody depressing. I would much rather not have had to deal with this, I would.kuch rather my child not have been damaged by a society and LA who won't ensure they have a education they can access.
My child isn't some data, they are real person that has been utterly failed by the LA and school system. We are a real family who have been to hell and back.

As you seem to know so much about who is doing this and evidence that they are faking diagnosis for cash - you should report.

"Sarcasm when you can think of nothing sensible to say"

I find sometimes there is no point in trying to discuss sensibly.

The vast majority of diagnoses come through the NHS. Many private providers also work for the NHS. The number of 'fake' diagnoses will be tiny. Having a teenager with 'severe autism ' it is not something that bothers me and people with concern could more usefully employ their concern elsewhere.

@Againlosinghope my ds also has a real diagnosis but that doesn't mean i deny the fact that others abuse the system.

I no longer work for the NHS so there would be little point in reporting! Also as you would know if you worked or had worked in healthcare medical professionals tend to stick together and cover up for each other.

How do you know it's real. Maybe you faked it?
You seem to know an awful lot about how people can fake autism. Oooo maybe you coached him and made him that way. Maybe they thought you didn't want a real assessment and were just paying to be told he autistic so you could reap all the benefits

Not nice when directed at you is it

Maybe the bad colleagues you had should have been reported at the time. And if they worked at the NHS. Maybe the NHS assessment isn't fit for purpose

What bullshit. This thread just proves the OP completely right.

@Againlosinghope 😂😂 i genuinely couldn't give two shits if people think i faked it! I know i didn't therefore im not overly defensive about it.

I’m not sure you can coach a child what to say anyway and if it would work if you did. My son is autistic and if he was to go through the gars questionnaire and fill it in himself he’d probably say that he is amazing at everything on it and doesn’t struggle so socially at all. The reality I and others can see is very different, he is now a teenager and very obviously autistic. He was diagnosed at 6 and I was in the assessment the salt did and I honestly thought she would turn round at the end and say no issues, he engaged beautifully in everything she asked, he chatted away and to my untrained eyes he appeared just like any other child but there were certain things she was looking out for which presented.

I can only assume you speak from privileged view point and have the support your child needs in place.
For the rest of us people doubting the diagnosis only makes it harder to get support.
So it's not defensive it is being completely worn down by the system.

My dd saw a psychiatrist for 3 appointments before he picked up autistic traits. She was so good at masking. Her psychologist she saw for her sever phobia of vomiting didn't pick it up either. It was my dd who grew old enough to want to understand herself better did the reading and realised she may be autistic.
I then started the process of diagnosis for her.

Yes I paid privately as she was extremely unwell with anxiety. School refusal and severe stomach pains. We couldn't wait for the 2 years on the nhs. She may not have been with us by then.

Her assessment was the same as any other and done by the same doctors privately that also work for the NHS. I was not in the room.

Now she is getting mentally better. She only very occasionally gets stomach pains. She didn't go back to school but is working part time and working out what she can and can't cope with. She smiles. Her anxiety is much less. She sees friends
She has started trusting me.
I'm getting My old girl Back after years of worry. My marriage was on the brink. Now that's recovered.

Why wouldn't I want this understanding for my child and My family.

Understanding yourself can be everything.

I agree, there is a tiny Minority of private practitioners who diagnose without a thorough assessment. However, it really is not an overwhelming enough number to get irate about. Of those who are diagnosed by unethical professionals, many people do actually have the diagnosis, it’s just been assessed and written about in a poor way.
I don’t think anyone denies some professionals are unscrupulous. I do think the “problem” is made into a much bigger deal by people who use it to hide behind their thinly veiled ableism.

@Againlosinghope No my eldest dc barely got any support at all as it was not as well understood back then! He was failed by the education system but has made a decent life for himself since with support from family and good employers! His ASD traits make him fantastic at his job. My younger dc who has a diagnosis of ASD, ADHD, SPD and ODD ( again diagnosed by the NHS) was seriously failed by the education system and eventually did get the support he needed ( all be it far to late) but i had to fight every step of the way for every single bit of support he got!

But you don't understand why parents are breaking point are doing the day by having to fund assessments because of waiting lists.

@Againlosinghope you have misunderstood what i said! Not everyone who self funds a diagnosis is doing so for nefarious reasons. However there ARE a section of parents who do so because it benefits them to not have to take responsibility for their childs terrible behaviour!

I agree with this.

and what does that diagnosis do then? it's not like there isn't stigma associated with ND children so it's hardly that they won't be judged.

'fake' diagnosis' are a drop in the ocean compared to the sheer amount of people who CANNOT get the diagnosis due to the system being stacked against them.