Panorama Private ADHD clinics exposed

[Youdoyoubabe]

Nothing surprising there really but good to highlight it on national television. Everyone has some characteristics of ADHD.

@missfliss I'd be careful with private clinics if your dc already has autism. As I'm sure you know, there's overlapping symptoms which may mean that a diagnosis is given incorrectly. You really need an expert in neurodevelopmental conditions in children. What's the research show for the impact of stimulants on people with autism? I honestly haven't looked into it.

@Mackerson there's emerging research on this topic, as much as people want to believe in 'late onset adhd' it's really not a thing. If you excelled or did alright in school across the board, even things you didn't enjoy, if you reliably and consistently engage in a hobby or interest without that hobby ramping up to take over your life, if you have always been able to keep to a budget, if you plan your day and don't make impulsive decisions, then I think it's highly unlikely you have ADHD. Forgetting a birthday, interrupting sentences, not being able to watch tv without being on your phone too, that's not all it takes.

Aaah - all these helpful people telling everyone they don’t have ADHD
Its making the thread boring - we get the message

I literally googled one of the three clinics - couldn't be arsed googling all 3 but the BBC did it for me - and that's exactly how it works. They sell packages of diagnosis plus treatment

Of course, some clinics have linked with NHS providers (this is not allowed in my area) and then you get it via the NHS so it's just big bucks for Big Pharma with no cut for a specific pharmacy.

But the 3 clinics from Panorama, at least one of whom came up top on google searches when I looked yesterday (which is why I checked out their page) run it that way. Just an extra nice little earner from all those £1k diagnoses they give out at a rate of 98% that mental health nurse estimated.

@Welcometotheterrorzone
Didnt you say you are waiting for a diagnosis for your son?

You do realise it’s hereditary ………

I actually cannot believe how some of you are defending this crap!

It’s bound to be top of the google search after being on prime time tv

Why is it such a big issue for you @ArcticSkewer

@PinkRobotDuck not always! This is another myth that if your child has it, you therefore must be ND. It's part of our parenting mindset, that we want to share our children's experience of the world. I found it very hard to accept that my autistic/ query adhd Dd will see the world much differently to the way I see the world, the world, to her, is terrifying and unpredictable. In fact, it made me realise how neurotypical I am, how easy I found school and friendships ( I mean I had a two good friends throughout childhood), how I can concentrate on a task if I put my mind to it. Even if my dd has a book on her favourite ever subject with a ton of fidget toys, she can't get through over three pages.

I get really angry when I see vulnerable people with mental health issues who need treatment being instead exploited for money by charlatans.

I can't believe some of you are okay with thousands of people being given strong medication incorrectly just so some nasty cynical business can make money. It's upsetting.

Misdiagnosis is not okay. Misdiagnosis for money is not okay. Overtreatment is not okay. Overtreatment for money is not okay.

But you are right, I am getting a bit het up about it so I'll stop posting and leave those of you who think it's fine to keep telling each other Panorama is a nasty liar.

Unless u r a parent of a child with adhd ur opnion really means nothing and I don't mean that rude. I am parent of child with severe autism, my child doesn't have medication. But I know a lot of families with children of severe adhd and some autism as well and I don't judge them. Severe adhd is brutal and is a completely debilitating condition that I wouldn't wish on anyone and unless ur living it daily I don't think u have right to decide what families do. I don't think I'll watch programme. I'm waiting for adhd diagnosis myself after learning about it since my daughter was diagnosed at 2 with autism. It's so incredibly ignorant and wrong to pendle the whole everyone is a little adhd! Really angers me!

@Rainbowsandbutterflies1990 these clinics don't care about children with ADHD either. They care about cash. The reason the nhs waiting list is so long is the time spent by clinicians before diagnosis. The fact that the majority of that information gathering and interviewing is completed by specialist nurses, psychologists, OTs or psychiatrists.
The parents who scrimp and save for these private assessments don't realise you're just getting a piece of paper, not the support, not the evidence needed for an EHCP or reasonable adjustments, not the CBT or DBT for related anxiety, not the play therapy, not the OT assessments. These are all through the NHS, although not in all areas and in very short supply.
The only one I rate is Bibic because it is not diagnosis focussed but more of a overall profile of what might help parents or educators.

I used to work in an Adult ADHD clinic. We were constantly complaining about shitty private assessments.

It's a money-spinner. Massively so. And can be massively damaging.

Not just to the individuals but to the health service as a whole.

Our assessments took 3 hrs, thorough and MDT. We had constant daily phonecalls complaining about the waiting list but GP commissioners did not want to give more funding and were constantly requesting a crapper service so we could see more people.

We covered several areas of the country and several commissioning groups.

A few years back one of them said you're providing a gold standard service but we want a more basic one, do less thorough assessments so you can see more people.

We refused. They said we won't commission you for the next financial year, we've seen private companies doing assessments in an hour and we're going to put this out to contract.

We discharged everyone in that area then a few weeks later they realised they couldn't find a contractor that had the resources to see how many people were referred in that area.

So they crawled back. But the point is that WILL change. The waiting lists are so long that the NHS will end up going that way, they'll contract it out to a private provider who'll set up cheap NHS ADHD assessment factories where they'll do one hour assessments, not check things properly, have staff do a 2 day training course, tick some boxes and hand out powerful drugs.

I know @Welcometotheterrorzone - but since the NHS won't progress to an assessment I have no other route.
In our case I'm not actually looking for a diagnosis - just an assessment precisely because of the overlap but also comorbidity ( 70% approx) with ASD.
Medication isn't something I'm even considering it's just about deepening g our understanding of his needs.

I don't want a diagnosis for him, just a thorough assessment.

It has been suggested by the other professionals we've encountered as a possible, I just don't feel that his school conners questionnaire is representative as he's only been there one term.

I am looking for a decent clinic ( there are some amongst the inadequate ones).

It's not a myth that if ur child is ND u will definitely be, there is more chance that u would be! My daughter is autistic, I've realised I have adhd and looking back in my mums family there is a lot of diagnosed/undiagnosed adhd and autism. There is also other conditions in the family, dyslexia, which is all under unbrella of Neurodiversity, so I would definitely say my family on mums side is Neurodiverse, my mum definitely has traits of autism, she has mentioned lots of times she does a lot of same behaviour as my daughter when she was a child and I can definitely relate to the adhd traits I have that my mum has !
It seems like ur seeing ur neurotypical like badge of honor which seem weird to me.

I don't intend watching documentary but it's clear reading this thread that this documentary has just enforced the stereotypes and continues the stigma towards adhd. Which is incredibly frustrating, ironically I used to be on camp of its over overdiagnosed , parents just want a diagnosis to get benefits etc, it's only when my daughter was diagnosed with autism at 2 and I then learnt about Neurodiversity that I realised not only is it real I also have it , and I'm pretty ashamed of my thoughts about it.

@Rainbowsandbutterflies1990 hardly. I see my dd struggle on a daily basis. I feel there needs to be some clarification (categories almost) to separate those with traits to those who find the condition impairs nearly every aspect of their lives, like my DD. What I find weird is parents pushing for a diagnosis against educational professionals. Why?? If it is not apparent to the teacher who is with them six hours a day, five days a week, then it's not a significant condition. Yes there is masking, but the mask slips, I don't believe that any child can mask all day every day to the point where the teacher does not see any problem with concentration, daydreaming, meeting academic expectations, fidgeting etc. Autism is different and I can believe that many go unnoticed unless they are challenging. My dd was missed in preschool because everyone assumed it was shyness and anxiety.

Absolute bullshit, and that isn't what the programme said.

It’s worrying. DD (adult) is thinking about getting an assessment. She’s more than likely ND but not sure whether ASD or ADHD as has quite obvious traits of both and they def impact her daily (has academic support at uni due to this but only has an anxiety diagnosis and is on an SSRI). I hate the ‘everyone is a bit…’ trope. I’ve even heard it from a therapist (in a professional setting, thankfunithjng to do w my DCs).
Having seen the programme I’m going to ask my network for specific recommendations of private assessors (I know enough people who have ND DCs).

I think it’s interesting how most people on MN are really against gender clinics because they medicalise essentially normal teenage feelings and misdiagnose them as trans, but then have all their children diagnosed with autism and ADHD.

I honestly believe that drug companies are largely behind this and have created a new mass market for their product. The same way they got the USA hooked on OxyContin. Thread after thread I see women saying that they had mental health problems for years and anti d’s have done nothing, that’s because anti d’s don’t actually work that well for many people and it’s been shown in large scale studies now. People are likely to move away from them eventually. Then they had an epiphany and now they are on speed it’s changed their life and they feel great! Of course you bloody do. You’re taking an addictive class A drug that’s used widely for recreation. This then backs up the diagnosis because it’s been falsified that only people with adhd respond well to these drugs, which is utter rubbish. I’m sure there’s a case for them in a very tiny % of the population but seeing the numbers of prescriptions soaring in the US should certainly be ringing alarm bells.

100% this. This is exactly what I was thinking last night. These clinics are not based on good science and diagnosis and are handing out extremely strong drugs possibly to children on a very shaky basis. Much the same as the gender clinics but at least they were run by the nhs.

It present differently in girls and boys. Mine wasnt picked up at school and i have 4 friends who are going for diagnosis now as adults after their children being diagnosed, 2 have been diagnosed, it wasnt picked up by their school. I was distracted constantly and used to daydream, but was my parents where always told there were more issues with other children and i wouldnt get help. So i struggled along.
Teachers are not experts. I was a teacher we have very little time overall the degree on learning about special needs! and I had the stereotype belief about adhd! Which many do! So im not surprised teachers doesnt always pick it up! (I'm unable to work now being a parent carer) I struggled badly at uni and my dyslexia was picked up at uni after going uni later at 25.
Children can absolutely mask all day at school and then it stop at home . Where behaviour becomes awful.

@begaydocrime42

So what do you suggest that ND children get no support. The NHS isn't meeting need. If children with broken legs were having to wait years for x ray, diagnosis and treatment, there would be outcry. If parents went private rather than cause long term damage who can blame them.

I'm sorry but if you had a child in crisis you would understand parents are desperate. Getting a diagnosis didn't make my child ND they have always been ND. It was the gateway to getting support in education. We already had medication and DLA based on need but the LA didn't not a. Understand the child's need and was under no obligation to support.

Our report came with very clear and structured details on the support needed.
The assessment and diagnosis was just confirmation needed to make the LA accountable.