to ask this without expecting a backlash?

[Fleurflowering]

I know that people will accuse me of being goady etc, but I would like to ask these questions without a tirade of hate being posted at me. I'm genuinely ignorant about this and want to understand it better.

I was born in 1978. When I was at school, there was a flicker of a mention of autism, but it didn't seem to be commonplace.

Did children have autism? Did ADHD exist then? Or are these new problems and why have they arisen?

Every school class seems to have children with SEND - autism being very common. But, when I was at school, there were "Remedial" classes, but behaviour was nowhere near as bad as it seems to be nowadays and teachers didn't need to differentiate lessons like they have to now. I hear so many people saying that their kids are on the spectrum, or that they themselves have autism.

I also don't remember any school refusers. Is this a new mental health symptom, or are children more autonomous and possibly less resilient nowadays?

I know I'll be flamed, but I'm not denying these conditions exist. I'm trying to learn whether they are new or not.

My brother was described by doctors as “hyperactive” as he just couldn’t sit still. One teach scoffed at this and said she didn’t believe it, he was just naughty. He got diagnosed aged 45 with ADHD through his work.

I was described by parents and teachers as “a daydreamer”. I’ve not been assessed but I have a lot of traits of inattentive ADHD as an adult. So who knows. Maybe that would be picked up in today’s school system.

Actually when I was diagnosed with ASD in 2000, I had had to see six different people in person over the course of several months. And that was as a middle aged adult.

I do agree with this. When DD1 was in preschool, I was on the management committee. We had about 60 children on roll (some only did one morning per week, etc.) and we had 2 children who received extra funding for 1:1 support, DD1 and another girl. DD1 went on to get a Statement of Special Educational Needs (old version of today's EHCP) and went to special school. The other girl was given an Inclusion Partnership Agreement (a non-statutory document which set out her needs and what the school needed to do to help her) and went to mainstream.

Even then, though, in 2009, I remember an older Head Teacher of a local infant school showing me around and at the end she leaned into me and said "If you're offered a special school, grab it with both hands and run to accept it. They're like gold dust." Another HT said "Get the best Statement you can possibly get because I won't be able to meet her needs unless it's really good." A third HT, when I asked how they kept the children from crossing the white boundary line into the road (DD1 was a runner) just rolled his eyes and said "The children know the rules." Interestingly, we had a year R transfer from that school into DD1's special school because the child evidently didn't get the memo.

3 years later, in 2012 I was desperately trying to find DD2 a new primary school. She had ASD but was undiagnosed and nobody would listen because she was passive. She'd been to two schools and had to leave both due to EBSA. I had home educated for a term to reset. I looked around a school and the HT said to me "Please don't bring her here. I technically have a space but the class she would go into has so much SEN, I could throw another 5 adults in there and it wouldn't be enough. You say that nobody believes she has ASD. If she comes here, you'd have your evidence within about 3 weeks because it would be so terrible for her, but it would destroy her. " We then found a small 100 place primary school, who met her needs and realised she had ASD and referred for assessment.

'Autistic children need screen time - they learn from it. '

No one 'needs' screens. It's a convenience tool we all have access to, that some use more than others because it's there and easily accessed, but not because they 'need' it.

There is a massive drive just now to see any differences as ADHD and autism, and yes, both are diagnosed more often as there are lower thresholds for both now. Because it's in media and everyday discussions, people see it more too. I know someone who was diagnosed who sees it in everyone - her one sided view is frustrating.

There is also a lot of incorrect information on social media and in everyday discussions about both conditions, with random stuff added to list of symptoms.

When my son was diagnosed in 2010 it was 1% of the population had ASD. Now it feels a lot higher. I think in old days the less severe autism wasn't diagnosed and those people (like my daughter) would just struggle horribly in silence

I absolutely think there were people in my school and family who were undiagnosed.
Also modern lifestyles and environments can amplify the impact of autism on individuals.

BUT
I have worked in special education for over 20 years now and in that time there has been a marked increase in the number of children with very complex autism profiles. We have whole classes of children with extreme sensory needs whereas when I started there were one or two in the school and it was a rarity.
I think there’s a theory that if autism intensifies down the generations we are now seeing the results of multiple generations of ‘high functioning’ autistic people meeting and having children whereas decades ago fewer people left their communities and therefore had fewer opportunities to meet other ND people.
I’ve explained that crudely as I’m in a rush but there is definitely more autism around now.

Rote learning, clear expectations and explicit teaching methods were used more in the past which are more effective for a lot of ASD students. Plus leaving school at 14 was not uncommon whereas a child of that age would be a school refuser now.
A lot of children with severe autism or intellectual disabilities in the past were in institutions and deprived of proper nutrition and adequate healthcare as subsequently died prematurely.

There are also higher rates of survival of premature births which is associated with autism.

However I find your OP extremely distasteful. You could have googled “increase in autism diagnosis rates” or read any number of the other threads on the topic but you thought you would be a dick and start your own. Of course we can fast forward to the bit where you blame us parents and get it over and done with.

What a daft question. Of course they existed. You just didnt notice or did but put it down to something else.
In the 1970s it was still considered fine to hit kids in school. Imagine how many kids with adhd and such got hit instead of help!

Well, this is some serious nonsense. All children have been entitled to an education since an Act of Parliament in 1970. Secondly, it is the WARNOCK report. Mary Warnock, iirc. It wasn't a report prepared by a warlock!

I'm over 50 and I'm on the spectrum, only found out about 10 years ago. I used to run away from school, struggled in classes, and would have benefited from SEND support, Without it, I was just told I'm bad, lazy and stupid.

In my class, there were other kids with obvious issues who were treated the same... so yes, it was around and no, it was undiagnosed.

In my 90s school, they're were 2 naught boys who would run away or climb into the roof. Even then the teachers recognised that there wasn't anything malicious or planned, they just couldn't be 'good'. I'm sure they'd be diagnosed with ADHD now. My siblings and I were the odd balls who found adults easier and now have diagnoses, but weren't autistic enough for the 90s, merely odd.

I'm a few years younger than you but I remember autism was known about, but only when it was extreme....non verbal, incredible architectural drawings or landscapes from memory. Basically Rain Man or nothing. Definitely no understanding that it could exist in a milder form or on a spectrum but looking back there were definitely children who I'd say were likely to be autistic. At the time they were largely seen as just weirdos.

Autism has always existed but its definition is now so broad that IMHO is makes the whole "diagnosis" meaningless. I have an autistic child, apparently, but I'm not sure I really see the point of having the label. I'm the same age as you so maybe I'm also harking back to what seemed much more outcome based times and "in my youth" etc.

When I was in primary school (noughties), they were two children you could tell had high needs SEN. I felt bad for them as they used to get told off a lot.

Having said that, I have elder relatives in my family who you can tell are probably undiagnosed autistic so I think it’s always been around.

Probably a lot of the time it went undiagnosed as smacking and tougher discipline were more common.

I remember being really scared of teachers when they would shout and scream, even though it wasn’t directed as me. I presume it caused a lot of kids with sen to mask at school.

I was born in 1960. We all knew of classmates who had siblings who were 'sent away' - it was never made clear but we all gathered they were in institutions, so this was where the non-verbal and non high-functioning went. The rest of us were muddling along as best we could (I have ADHD, only diagnosed at over 60). We were the weird kids, the geeky kids, the kids with all-absorbing hobbies. I read continually and exclusively, this was my life. I had a few friends but was bullied for not conforming.

I grew up assuming I had bi polar disorder or similar but not wanting to say anything about the extreme depressions or manic behaviour because my mum would have clipped me round the ear for 'attention seeking'. I am among the lucky ones because I learned very early to copy behaviours to fit in. I'm still seen as a bit odd, but it's allowed now I'm older!

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5486522-to-ask-you-to-explain-send-funding-and-bankrupt-councils-to-me?utm_campaign=thread&utm_medium=app_share

I haven't the energy to contribute to YET another thread on this as I am too busy parenting my AuDHD child, teaching in a comprehensive and worrying about the implications of the White Paper (no offence to you OP; getting better informed is good) so I offer this recent 1000 post thread on the same issues that will inevitably be discussed by the more and less informed on your thread...

Born early 70s. I remember lots of children in my class with additional needs. Looking back I think one child had cerebal palsy, another had mutism, the one that sat next to me spent most of the day with his head inside the desk banging the lid on himself, one poor boy died of Leukemia (not relevant I know). One teacher, 30ish kids no extra help ..I have no idea what was going on, but that was just how it was. My friend was diagnosed with dyslexia in the late 70s and I think that (the diagnosis) was unusual. This was an affluent part of the South East. Looking back it seems incredible, I wonder what happened to them. I remember one very neglected child who the teacher humiliated for having dirty feet - I remember cringing even back then. I'm also appalled how some (not all) of the Jewish children were interrogated as to why their parents didn't like them being in our assemblies (where we sang hymns). Very different times.

I can also now see traits in certain people that have always acted in a different way to others and wonder if they are ND. It's awareness, this can not be a bad thing! I certainly recognise ADHD traits in myself (not saying I would reach the bar for a diagnosis). Times change, people generally do not.

Also TL;DR - DH (born 1966) has a very similar profile to our DC re neurotype but the school system he was in celebrated his academic achievements and didn't worry too much about his social communication deficits.

Same kind of person. Different era.

I was born in 1980 and have autism, it just wasn't spotted and I didn't receive any help.

Several of my school friends are in the same situation (because even though we didn't know we had autism, we did know we were like each other and flicked together).

It is a good thing that dc are more likely to get support they need and the language to understand their experiences now.

My father's first teaching job in 1957 was at a mainstream state school in Luton. His class was entirely special needs. He was a brilliant teacher and they had a lovely time . They were in a nissen hut across the playground from the rest of the school and he was left to it because no one expected much of them or cared what they were learning. Most of the children in the school went to work on the production line at the Vauxhall motors factory . My father's job was to help his class get a job anywhere they could. He later became the Principal Ed Psych of the county we moved to ( 1973) He took school refusers to school everyday. His entire job was leading a team of Ed psychs dealing with children with special needs. The difference was that most of those children went to special schools, either from the start or once they started showing signs. I was at secondary school from 1976. We were streamed into 4 sets . Below that was silver set and below that gold. The children in set 4 , silver and gold would have been classed then as ESN ( educationally sub normal) and most would have drifted away from attending school by 15. If you were in set 1, 2 or 3you wouldn't have had any contact with or disruption from anyone who had problems, they would simply have been removed ( and caned frequently by the headmaster). At primary school teachers kept the disruptive children at the front so they could be hit if they misbehaved. Boys were sent to the headmaster to be caned, girls were given the slipper ( a PE shoe on the backside). Children with issues have always been around. We just used to put them in special schools or beat them / exclude them if they were in mainstream.

There is likely mor3 cases now as people with ASD are more integrated into society therefore more likely to meet with and procreate and it is hereditary.
However I am an early 80s child and I note that there were definitely ASD/ADHD kids when I was at school. Labeled as 'naughty' 'a bit odd' or 'thick' for their behaviour which nowadays would be met with more understanding.
Andthat's just the ones that my slightly higher than average Josephine hindsight can see, who's behaviour was quite obvious due to being disruptive or extreme.

There were probably more.

There were always kids with autism/ADHD etc at school.... there was a very strong routine based scheduling when I was at school in the 60s and 70s. I think this helped.

There was a lack of tolerance of difference and a refusal to indulge "poor behaviour" that did not help the kids who were somewhere on whichever spectrum, but to be honest, did help those who weren't, or had mild effects.
Nowadays there is much more inclusiveness which helps everyone in different ways.

I have misophonia which nowadays can be used as a marker for auditory processing deficiencies and inattentive ADHD. Would it have helped to have it diagnosed when I was younger? Who knows? Like any other kid, I learned my own coping strategies and got on with life. Sometimes a diagnosis is really helpful and medication or therapy intervention can help. Sometimes it is another burden to carry.

Learning difficulties were hard to bear - my brother had extreme dyslexia- he still cannot read and write at 56. There was a lot of undiagnosed dyslexia, and so few kids got any help. He was labelled an idiot. Told he'd never amount to anything. Kids and parents were just expected to accept that.

My (very successful) builder @ChubbyPuffling was told the same. He can read and write but got no qualifications (although he then left and got building ones). His sister is degree educated and works as a teacher.

Thank goodness his dad had a trade.

I was born later, but same story. No one was bothered that I was somewhat strange and had social difficulties, because I wasn't disruptive and didn't find the academic side of school hard. Being autistic doesn't necessarily mean having SEND in terms of schoolwork, and to be honest I (especially child/teenager me) would have been angry if I had been offered help with the one aspect of life I was good at.

I was born in 1965. When I was at primary school there were no children who needed any behavioural support or intervention in mainstream classrooms. There was a Remedial class which was mixed age and had about ten children in it. Most of these had learning difficulties such as dyslexia. So ten out of school population of 250.

At senior school there were no remedial classes and the school population was huge. Ten classes of thirty per year group, so 1500 children in total. In my year group I can think of only one boy who was identifiably autistic, and one girl out of 300.

That is no way comparable to what we see today. Yes, there is better knowledge and identification of autistic children, but that doesn’t explain the massive increase. It really doesn’t.

I have no idea what is causing it. Anything that gets mentioned is disproven. I do wonder about UPFs? Pollution? Plastic? I wish we knew.