social media is convincing all our kids they are nd?

[AuntMarch]

I've just been sat on the bus and the tiktok videos I'm hearing almost have me seeking a diagnosis.
"ADHD TEST" Put a finger down if you've ever focused on something so much you've lost track of time/ sometimes think you talk too much or not enough.."
it's basically covered every possible behaviour and it's video after video.

it's no wonder every kid thinks they have something.

Yeah I have OCD and have heard that be put under the ND umbrella too, I don't think I'd classify myself as ND

Yes, but these people have to justify their own existence, by appearing knowledgeable, and gathering a fan base.🤷‍♀️

No, just more misinformation, 80 - 85% of the population are NOT neurodiverse. So only 15 - 20% of the population are. Being schizophrenic is still being human. it doesn't mean there doesn't need to be a diagnosis.

If you don't feel you need a diagnosis then why do you have one? You're not doing anyone who is ND any favours here.

in prison because of ADHD?

YANBU

But it comes from the adults.

Everyone is desperate to have a label.

I have just signed up to OLD and I’ve yet to find one profile that doesn’t have ‘ADHD’ or ‘autistic’ in the first couple of lines.

It’s weird.

Why would a random woman care about your diagnosis before getting to know you.
It’s like me stating that I have IBS or I’m colour blind.
I can’t help feel that it’s lining them up as an excuse for shitty behaviour.

Actually women in their 50s are largely suffering from shit life syndome, that should be the diagnosis, caring for both kids and elderly parents, perhaps ending or wanting to end a relationship with their useless husband, over stimulated by the relentless demands of impossible jobs and the structure in society not being family or female friendly or actually human friendly.

You assert this with such confidence, you must have some evidence to back it up?

Or is it just your feelings.

"When you can get a mobility car when you’ve got a diagnosis and start driving at 16 there’s 2 big incentives right there"

No one gets a mobility car purely because they have a diagnosis of ADHD or autism.

A large majority of prisoners have ADHD. Many also have autism and/or trauma.
Over 50% are also dyslexic.

The majority of prisoners are ND.

If you think about a young boy in school 10+ years ago with ADHD he would have likely been excluded or put in isolation etc and had his education disrupted in some way, which would have then impacted everything else in his life and can easily lead to prison.

but kids are. and that's my concern.

Absolutely, most of those "symptoms" on the various social media reels are things most people experience sometimes. It's kind of grim the way it's become a trend!

I'm a middle aged woman, stretched between work, family and perimenopause. I don't see a difference between being told I'm neurotic or depressed back in the 60s or 90s and prescribed valium or antidepressant, and being told I'm ADHD and prescribed medication in 2025. In the end both diagnoses tell me it's something wrong with me - not with the bloody unrealistic employer, rubbish finances, family pressures, lack of support or poor health. Or pension age of 67. Or all of the above.

To add to perfectstorm’s post. Someone can still meet Public transport is a sensory nightmare for some people, it can be more unpredictable than driving, it can require more communication skills and different executive functioning requirements. Also the criteria is a familiar journey, not any familiar journey. And it isn’t just the ability to drive that is considered, or the part of the journey that is undertaken by car.

Sorry if you already know this, but it is possible to sit the theory test at home if it wouldn’t be possible for them to sit it in a centre. Still 2 strangers, but not the same as a test centre if DS would cope with that.

Do you have driving lessons as part of DS’s EOTIS package?

I'm aware of this. But it makes no sense that someone who is able to drive to familiar places with no difficulties should get enhanced mobility

And yes I do know the criteria because I get it

You may not agree with it, but it makes sense if you look at the criteria.

Also, being able to drive doesn’t mean they do so with no difficulties.

Kids are being spoon fed a tonne of garbage on social media. This is a tiny issue compared to what else is out there.

That’s why it’s a parent responsibility to manage to phone/social media access. Teach them online literacy. How to research things they’ve heard about. What good quality information looks like.

True. Modern life requires executive function skills and it’s assumed everyone has them. If they don’t, they’re “broken”.

I sometimes ask if someone's child may be nd. If it's in your family you recognise the signs. The signs everyone insists are 'normal' when they're actually not always normal at all. If I had a quid for every time I'd been dismissed when my children were small.... They'd also be in a much better place now educationally and with their MH if we hadn't been dismissed all the time.

I also know very very few people in RL who use their asd/adhd as an excuse for anything (one to be exact!). Most are very private about it, probably because they can't be bothered with the exact judgment we see day in day out on here. But I suppose by its nature mumsnet will have more people saying they know someone who uses it as an excuse, than people who don't, because the latter's not very juicy to report on and won't create any uproar.

I'm not convinced many if any teens are after a diagnosis tbh. In my experience asd/adhd children are still very much bullied and excluded amongst their peers.

We’ve a few work colleagues pursuing formal diagnosis to obtain PIP. I think we’re probably all on the spectrum somewhere, hence it’s a spectrum.

One of our kids is waiting for Autism assessment. They’re very clear that in their group and school self diagnosis is definitely meaningless. We’ve not even considered private diagnosis either as that’s not considered valid by NHS either.

No only autistic people are on the spectrum hence the autistic spectrum
And having a diagnosis doesn't necessarily mean a person's entitled to PIP
It goes off need.

Or that they shouldn’t be expected to do things like turn up to work on time, follow instructions or the like because they have been convinced they have ASD or ADHD without a diagnosis.

Actually parents often don’t want a diagnosis either and push back. I’ve come across many parents who don’t want a diagnosis for autism and adhd and shy away when approached. Who wants their kid on a cocktail of medication that needs physical monitoring? I certainly don’t and spend many hours worrying about it.

😫

We are NOT all a little bit on the autistic spectrum.

They need to bring back public service announcements and this should be one of them.

Bullshit. Most of us with a diagnosis hide it. I’ve attended several NHS groups and
advice on should you tell your boss and how to is common- because so many struggle to do so for fear of being stigmatised.