The over diagnosis of ADHD and autism is ruining children’s lives.

[67854568G]

‘So, before a child has fully developed, they are diagnosed with a disorder. That’s disorientating. It's no wonder that a study has found that around 70% of children diagnosed with autism also suffer from depression and anxiety! Again, it’s worth asking who really benefits from these labels?’

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/health/other/opinion-this-obsession-with-diagnosing-kids-with-autism-and-adhd-is-ruining-their-lives-i-should-know/ar-AA1Iscvg?ocid=socialshare

9yo dd has been in the system since she was 5, still undiagnosed and on the asd/ adhd assessment pathway. She's just started experiencing hearing a scary voice that tells her to "put it right, or else" which is keeping her awake at night, "petrified" (her words). Because the NHS can't/ won't tell me how close she is to the top of the waiting list, we're again faced with doing our own research (a scary prospect when your child is hearing voices, I can assure you), learning whatever we can about this new phenomenon, and trying different strategies to see what might work. For all we know, she may need medication, but we're firing in the dark and she's suffering as a result. The problem is that her case is not severe enough to be seen any quicker, presumably because she's bright and academically able, and is causing no disruption (to others) at her school.

Quite frankly, you can fuck off with your 'overdiagnosis' theories when 80% of autistic girls remain undiagnosed at 18, and suicide rates compared to their NT peers is through the roof.

I'm hoping the 'financial gains' I hear so much about kicking in soon.
My teen lost £50 worth of Loops yesterday. She needs them for school and many other environments but obviously its me that has to replace them.
As far as I can tell there are frequently extra costs associated with ND kids and its generally the parents responsibility to find that money.

I'm in similar Facebook groups I'm also in Unique the charity for rare chromosome disorder, s loads of people with same or similar disorders have autism
However aa we kniw the spectrum is wide and varied and impacts people in very different ways
In my sons case his deletion was De novo.

My son’s autism was almost certainly caused by extreme prematurity (born on the cusp of viability). Virtually all of the other young people we know who were born similarly early are also autistic.

@67854568G one can only have a debate when the other person is equally informed so maybe if you had published a well respected peer reviewed medical paper then I wouldn't have shut you down and instead entered into a debate. So yes my point still stands. Fuck off posting this shit stirring in aibu

Where? You should be able to provide links.

Do you know anything at all about the assessment process for autism? Because it doesn't sound like you do. You seem to think parents just ask for it and it's given to them and they unlock the gates to a magical land full of money trees and endless amounts of help and support that neurotypicals don't get.

My son is going through the process now so let me enlighten you to what it takes.

3+ year wait. A 90 minute interview between my son and an assessor. Then I will be having a THREE HOUR interview with a different assessor. Then I'll have to have another 30 minute call after that to summarise and find out the diagnosis. I was asked to fill in about 100 questions, with up to 5000 characters available for some of the questions, to write about all the ways that his neurodivergency negatively affects his life (that was really fucking fun to write, i can tell you). His teachers were asked to complete questionnaires to ensure he shows these signs across at least 2 different settings. I had to upload medical records and occupational and psychological therapists reports, but first i had to go and get those things so that was more time and effort.

Then, those experts get the evidence together and they'll decide whether my child has autism. If they say no, i don't get any support. If they say yes, i don't get any support. Maybe they'll give me a leaflet. Nothing changes.

Why the fuck would anyone put themselves through that if they didn't believe their child needed it?

Also, what financial support can i get if he's diagnosed? Id fucking love to know. Because nobody's offered us any help or support, financial or otherwise at any point in his life, and he's 9. So please, pray tell, i need to know. DLA i suppose, but that's a pittance compared to the actual cost of raising a disabled child. And it's nearly impossible to actually get.

I did report this goady as fuck thread yesterday but clearly Mumsnet feels that people rage baiting parents of disabled children IS in the spirit of the site.

Parents can ask for anything However teachers can only comment on how the child presents in school ,they are allowed to be factual, they can't just agree with parents if that's not how the child presents in school they can also refuse to write anything
They csnt just sign something because the parent asks for it educate yourself!

‘Some Parents asking some teachers to do this’

And??
They can ask away the teachers are under no obligation to sign anything .
And they won't sign something they haven't witnessed.

Schools have a legal duty to identify and support children with SEN, which would include referrals and supporting diagnostic processes so if teachers are whinging about having to do that vital part of their job, then perhaps they are in the wrong job.

Correct!

Indeed. The fact is they are being asked, a lot. According to people on MN. They’re not comfortable about it, often, it seems.

According to mumsnet, the anon forum where anyone can claim to be anything and there is often threads stirring up benefits issues, it must be happening often then.

My kids will always have adhd.

Its been very freeing for them having a diagnosis from a young age and medication allowed them to access medication (and maintain friendships)

They have grown up knowing why they are they way they are, learned how their brains work. Adhd wasnt a big deal as we always talked about it - the good, the bad and the downright ugly.

"Indeed. The fact is they are being asked, a lot. According to people on MN. They’re not comfortable about it, often, it seems."

There is a section on the DLA form in which someone who knows the child well can write about the difficulties the child has. Some parents will of course ask a member of school staff because that member of staff knows the child well.

It's not parents who design the DLA form.

It's their legal duty. If they don't want to do their legal duty to identify SEN and support vulnerable children, they should find a new job.

Also you've yet to provide evidence that teachers are being coerced into providing evidence to support false diagnoses by nefarious money grabbing parents.

You’ve just made ‘coerced’ up 🙄. I said asked to. But yes the latter part of your sentence is accurate, from what I’ve read some teachers say. They are happy to do their job - their job isn’t supporting fraudulent / exaggerated claims.

Yabu.

Not read the article but children aren't diagnosed without good reason. Anxiety and ddepression can be linked to autism, or other neurodivergent conditions.

The diagnosis is a step towards understanding the child's needs and how they are best supported. Whether they get the support they need from the education system is another matter, which can lead to further anxiety.

For each child diagnosed, there will be others facing it in silence and masking in public. Their parents may be trying desperately to support them, but being told there is nothing wrong because they behave in school.

There will also be some who get no support at home too, either because the parents don't understand or don't want to accept there child is neurodivergent.

Sorry OP, again, what experience do you have in anything to do with education or diagnoses of neurodivergence?
You’ve read some stuff online basically.

Which fraudulent claims?

Also, I'm still waiting very very eagerly to hear what financial support will be thrown at me once my son is diagnosed.

In which case, they would decline to fill that part of the form in. Easy.

Oh dear OP. You have tried to correct that poster’s spelling of ‘practise’ and exposed your own ignorance instead!

‘Practise’ is the verb in UK English, and it was used correctly by that poster: ‘practise what you preach’.

’Practice’ is the noun and that would be the incorrect version for the poster to use.

You may wish to apologise. If not, I hope you have learnt something in any case.