To find the growing narrative of over diagnosis (autism, adhd and mental health) upsetting and draining

[Frazzlesforever]

There seems to be a drip drip of press headlines and change in the conversation that too many people are getting diagnosed. And that some parents are being too pushy to get extra help or trying to get be benefits etc.

As the parent of a high masking autistic girl I had to push for diagnosis although the school just saw a highly compliant, quiet anxious child. My daughter is now extremely mentally unwell through not coping in school, has had to drop out of school missing her gcses, emergency CAMHs involvement - devastating for her and us.

She is exactly the type of child who would fall under the radar. Just an anxious child with over anxious parents. Apparently seeming to cope until she just couldn't. Surely if anything we need better understanding and support for these types of children not less. Otherwise we also risk kicking the problem down the road To severe problems in adulthood. - poor mental health/outcomes etc.

UC is means tested, so if you/your partner had a reasonable income (relative to housing costs if renting) or over £16k in savings, you wouldn't get it.

Carer's allowance isn't means tested, but you'd only be eligible for it if you work less than 16 hours pw and earned less than 16 x NMW pw.

No, he does think he has autism. He has effectively ‘come out as autistic’. He also said he had the autistic profile but not the disability…which tbh I don’t understand at all. The diagnosis requires ‘impairment’ and ‘deficit’.

You said that you couldn’t see the point of getting a diagnosis for some people and one of the reasons you gave is because Tony Atwood said he is “unaffected” which made me think that you were saying he believes he is autistic. He is not meet the diagnostic criteria.

I do also find it a bit strange when people get an ADHD diagnosis and refuse to try the medication - but some people can’t have it for various reasons and for some it doesn’t work. However it is still incredibly valuable to get a diagnosis because an expert can give a very deep understanding of a person’s difficulties very quickly.

It is a common feature of anxiety, OCD, depression and other mental health conditions, all of which autistic people can suffer from too
It's extremely common for introverted personalities to have to mask, so at least 30% of society...

He does believe he’s autistic.

Yanbu. There is no over diagnosis that I am seeing.

Mask what?

Autistic people are masking autistic traits NT don’t struggle with.

No such thing as NT

Of course and masking women and girls can’t be autistic either. 🥱

Im not in my 60s but I have built a reasonably successful life - good career, family etc. But I'm waiting for an ASD assessment. Ive wondered if its worth it, it won't change anything. But it might change my perception. It might show me that I wasn't the problem. The things I have always struggled with are not my fault. I'm not "wrong", I'm just ND. For me a diagnosis will change my life and how i feel about myself.

Oh look another ableist person who thinks everyone who isn’t autistic is NT.

I hope it gets sorted soon. If you get a diagnosis, I can promise you it will the most amazing feeling.

I do understand that very well, more thani'd like to. I could throw it back at you saying you're obsessed with describing severe autism in a way that demishes the needs of those with the most needs.

Stating that there are individuals who suffer all the time severely is factual. I know many families who would love for their loved one to have fluctuating needs, a few days where they can do something. While to some this is severe disability to others this would be a priviliedge they don't have.

If you read my posts I've been advocating for better mh support for those who require it, this usually isn't the group that I would class as severe or profound.

Recognising the difference in needs is helpful to everyone as it means the right support can be given to the right people.

Someone with profound autism wouldn't benefit from cbt so there would be no point having that as an option likewise there will be people who have autism who wouldn't benefit from having now/next boards or a visual timetable. These are just basic examples.

Being able tosay that someone suffers more severely from their autism to someone else doesn't remove the others needs, it just recognises that not everyone is the same.

Thank you.

Maybe you could have used it for a bit of research before presenting opinion as fact then.

Many/most autistic people aren’t suitable for CBT because of black and white thinking

I have several mates who are GPs. Not one person they’ve referred for adhd has been refused the diagnosis. A relative who is a sendco took her own child to be assessed- the gp made it clear that all children who go for diagnosis are being diagnosed.

It’s a diagnosis when a clinical psychologist says it’s a diagnosis. Diagnosis can be really useful and validating - realising you’re not the same as others really helps reframe experiences. At the same time a diagnosis doesn’t always help schools know what to do. There’s no blood test or brain scan, we don’t know the driving cause. There could be many driving causes.

(Paraphrasing from the opinion of the bod on the bbc podcast.)

He goes on to describe research where they took all the children who were struggling in a school and it wasn’t all the children with autism and adhd. There were many other children struggling terribly. So the diagnostic route isn’t helping the children reach their potential.

There are types of cbt that do help. We use social stories with children at school which is a type of CBT. As are other strategies.

Black and white thinking is also a feature of depression.

The problem with diagnoses is:

it’s not a magic wand. The behaviours are still there.
its meant to unlock support but the money isn’t there for it.
the curriculum is problematic anyway and blaming the children doesn’t help.
a lot of the strategies for autism - no shouting, clear instructions, mutual respect, strong working relationships, sensory breaks - are just good practise in general. A lot of pressure was put on teachers to incorporate this in their practise and this is the first thing they’ll get told to do if they have concerns about a child.
parents also don’t always want to hear it.
it gives the child a lifelong label and identity that isn’t always in their best interests

its never that simple.

Nobody can say what 'normal' or 'NT' is, because everyone is different. But if someone doesn't meet the diagnostic criteria for ASD/ADHD, then they are in the NT sphere, even if they can satisfy some parts of the diagnostic criteria.

ASD: A. Persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction across multiple contexts

B. Restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities,

C. Symptoms must be present in the early developmental period (but may not become fully manifest until social demands exceed limited capacities or may be masked by learned strategies in later life).

D. Symptoms cause clinically significant impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of current functioning.

E. These disturbances are not better explained by intellectual disability (intellectual developmental disorder) or global developmental delay. Intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder frequently co-occur; to make comorbid diagnoses of autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability, social communication should be below that expected for general developmental level.

ADHD: persistent symptoms of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that:

Have been present for at least six months
Started before the age of 12
Occur in two or more settings, such as home, school, or work
Interfere with social, academic, or occupational functioning

Really not sure what your point is.

Also many GPs are hugely ignorant as regards ND.

the curriculum is problematic anyway and blaming the children doesn’t help.

I can't help but suspect this is a huge part of the issue, the school curriculum are far too jam packed.
And teachers are pushing hard to get through it putting tons on pressure on kids.
Parents are adding to the pressure 'stick in do well'
And sooner of later the Autistic child crumbles

It really is and it’s heartbreaking, children are pathologised for normal reactions and responses and slapped with learning disabilities for not being able to hit dubiously decided age related expectations. It made me furious.

My children having autism does not diminish or take away anything from anybody else.

Fluctuating support needs across all levels are highlighted by the diagnosis system which has mentioned levels for care needs so pick your fight with them.

Having fluctuating care needs doesn’t mean you don’t suffer all the time. Anybody walking in my dc’s shoes and ours as parents would see that.

We all mask all of the above to an extent though. None of us approach every social situation 100% sure of ourselves or 100% comfortable with the situation. In fact there are psychologists that would argue that we need stressors to have strong foundations and develop into adults able to cope with adult expectations. Who gets to decide whether the masking is pathological or not? IMO one of the biggest disservices we're doing our children is raising them to think that they're entitled to only comfortable experiences. This isn't fair, it isn't human and it isn't realistic