Vile article from KT Hopkins

[StarlightMcKenzie]

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/katie-hopkins/why-must-everything-be-a-medical-condition_b_3751096.html

Response from Anna Kennedy OBE www.twitlonger.com/show/n_1rm08lg

I think she makes some valid points, particularly in terms of the USA where I have been familiar with their obsession with ADHD for over 20 years.

What you might forget is that, in the stampede for a label or a diagnosis, you can often be doing a child a disservice. The label becomes an end in itself, never more so than in the hands of a professional who is out of their depth.
'He is X, therefore he cannot do Y'.
How often do MNers complain about, for example, s/lts telling them they cannot help their child because he is autistic.

A label is often nothing more than another way of describing symptoms. Dyslexia? A difficulty with reading. It's the same thing.
The temptation is that the 'dyslexic' is filed away already in the 'Don't bother box' whereas the child who is having difficulty reading isn't.

I don't disagree Moondog, But I really don't think that was the point she was making.

She does mention that 'labels' are required to access special schools, which is probably the closest to the truth she came imo, and access to services was THE reason we sought a dx for ds, as well as possibly to alleviate some of the guilt that our standard parenting wasn't doing the job it was supposed to be. At that point though, we truly believed that we'd be given guidance and services once we'd demonstrated it wasn't all our doing.

What we learned was that firstly, services were nothing more than lip service, secondly in order to cover up this fact, anything we could do as parents that were effective would be ripped to pieces, undermined and actively sabotaged.

I don't know what I would do should I have the time again. My ds could not survive in a mainstream school without certain support that he wouldn't get dx or not.

I don't think she's thinking that deeply, moondog. I doubt that her opinions came from anyone any more knowledgeable than the Internet equivalent of the pub bore.

she's a horrid, horrid, person nasty & vile how does she manage to go through life spouting the nasty spiteful things she says & still sleep at night.

Maybe she has constant itchy painful piles, lets hope

Rent a gob indeed!

TBH I think the push for a dx is because so much support, services & therapy is tied up & only accessible if you meet certain criteria.

If children we given support purely based on need & the NHS/LEA were more inclusive regardless of dx then none of us would give two hoots about a label.
CP, ASD, LD, SPD were not the letters I hoped he may one day have after his name

Media whore - makes her money by taking up thick positions which chime with a very right-wing section of middle England. Thinks she is a fab businesswoman cos Sir Alan Sugar made her runner up on a TV show. Would have been chewed up and spat out in seconds in the real business word. Yawn.

Katie Hopkins needs to be burned at the stake, or go back under her bridge, whichever suits.