Labelling Children

Accurate diagnosis in childhood can make all the difference to the lives of people with autism. Families understand what's going on and how best to help them.
Working in an adult autism diagnostic service we heard time and again how people wished they could have been diagnosed as a child so their school experience could have been better. FYI our ave age for diagnosis was 38 and the oldest diagnosed was 84. ASD isn't something people grow out of which seems to take people by surprise!

Very true roses. I have been on the receiving end of my DGS's violence when in a meltdown. I've been kicked, bitten, nipped. He never means any of it though. He's a super boy, I love him dearly, I just wish that I could take the Asperger out of him. At school he received 2 hours a week extra help, which wasn't enough and he was still sidelined.

Well said Hilda!Acceptance is the only requirement.

In support of teachers - from my experience as an EP, if a teacher has a pupil who is obviously in serious need of help they will do all they can to get their HT to refer that child to start the procedure to get that help.
Most of our referrals came from class teachers.

I agree, Jane10. My 14 year old grandson was diagnosed before he started primary school. However, his parents only told him recently that he had autism.
It's not an excuse for behaviour, but a reason. He now knows why and accepts that he will always be different.

And with you, hildajennyj. It's a different ability, and needs to be understood.

My grandson has mild sensory processing disorder. Five years ago this was hardly recognised in this country and it took my daughter and I months to wade through information/ make phone calls/ email until my daughter was able to get a diognosis, which she had to pay for.
His teacher wasn't having any of it and the SENS teacher had never heard of it. But fortunately we were able to teach/ inform them how to handle him.
Another 'fortunately' was that every teacher after that was a lot younger and open to 'new' ideas.

Lisalou You will need a tin hat after that post, but please remember that the majority of posters on this site will never had had ant experience of working in a classroom.Most people on the street will tell you every child is a delight and in fact their very own Grandchildren are "the most perfect cherubs".*Azie90*you are spot on.
I spent many years as a S.N.T.A and can honestly say i was appalled by the underhanded practices of many Head Teachers in securing extra funding for their schools,Many children have been statemented and labelled in this country just to fill the school coffers.

My son had a terrible time at school. No teacher ever mentioned that they thought he had problems. His fellow pupils didn't undersand him. He obtained 5 A-C grades but was isolated and bullied.
He was diagnosed at 22 and it was such a relief to him and us for him to be labled.

Grannypiper remembering how long and arduous the Statementing process was I find it hard to believe that many children have been Statemented just for the money. Some LAs were notoriously mean (Hertfordshire and Surrey often being cited by parents).

Pigglywiggly, many thanks for your response to granyypiper's negative and unsubstantiated comments. "filling the coffers' Indeed. In the largest city I worked in, it was nigh on impossible to get an assessment leading to what was then called a statement of special educational need. I worked across the city, not just in one school and it was disgusting to see so many children, who clearly needed a professional assessment being allowed to fail and languish, especially as their teachers and HT were making continued referrals for assessment.

Awful * Iam64*

It seems that there are those who will never believe that autistic children need to be helped, and it may have changed since DGS was diagnosed and statemented, but we as a family are grateful that he was given the statement and label, as without it he would have had to muddle on at primary school, upset every day and miserable, not to mention upsetting the other children who became frightened of his behaviour.

roses, my oldest grandson was diagnosed at 7. The diagnosis could have come earlier but his mum, for very understandable reasons at that time, didn't want to take him to cahms, as school had suggested. She feared he'd be labelled because of some difficulties in his early years. The diagnosis was a huge help to him and to his parents, as well as to the wider family. He was 'no trouble' at home with all of us but he could not cope with school and was described as disruptive. The diagnosis helped in so many ways. I have personal and professional experience of the positives that can come with proper assessment, diagnosis and the support that follows that. To claim that HT's are pushing for children to be labelled, so they can 'line the coffers', well, I'd be speechless if I wasn't so cross.

I agree with you Lisalou. I have years of personal, heartwrenching experience on lots of levels.

I totally get what you're saying. Everything has to have a label these days, it's ridiculous. Then everyone becomes extremely offended at the mere mention of what you have just stated. Again, ridiculous PC crap.

Grannypiper, I think Lisalou has raised a tricky but very relevant question. It's hard to watch a child you love have problems but labelling them can have many disadvantages. It's easy for the experts to jump up and down in 'how very dare you even ask that question'. But their knowledge and experience is only as good as the system that taught them. Sometimes rocking the boat and asking awkward questions is a good thing because it gets people to think outside the box. We all rest easy on our laurels when get the 'aha! finally, a diagnosis. Now I know what it is'. But what if the diagnosis isn't the problem, what if it's only a solution for the system and a way to contain such children?
I was diagnosed as dyslexic at school and made to feel a failure. Today I'm a published book author plus I run a business. The diagnosis was clearly wrong.
And so today, a few of the experts and teachers are querying these labels we give our children and I think this is a good thing. Here are a couple of links that might make useful reading.

www.blog.montessoriforeveryone.com/is-labeling-kids-a-mistake.html

www.educationandbehavior.com/how-do-labels-affect-students/

Grannypiper, I taught special needs for a few years, so I do have experience - and a grandson with ASD who I am teaching at homeschool because he could not cope in a secondary school, with too many staff who did not understand his needs.

Everyone has different levels of learning. Sister was a teacher and said the same thing. DS wasn't great at certain things and they tried to tell me he may be dyslexic, I wasn't having any of it. You work to their strengths and find ways round others. DS is now studying Math at uni. Too many parents wrap their kids up in cotton wool these days and try to put a label on things to help them cope. I also work in the child industry and look after so many brats (made so by lazy or coddling parents) it's ridiculous.

Grannypiper, weren't the social services filling up the coffers by blocking fostering? Isn't that why David Cameron changed the system?

Some conditions were not recognised years ago and children labelled as naughty, lazy, inattentive etc. It is not so long ago children who were left-handed were made to write with the right hand which could cause problems such as a stammer etc.

'Labelling' a child may attract extra funding - but the funding would be spend on extra help at school anyway.

www.educationandbehavior.com/how-to-help-students-with-autism/

This site doesn't mind labelling children, nina.

I would have thought that a teacher with a very disruptive pupil in the class would be glad if that child was diagnosed as having ADHD or some other condition because that teacher would then probably be given extra help ie a teaching assistant who would spend time with that child and relieve the teacher.

Durhamjen, it explains why they label children from their point of view.

This link has another perspective.

thekidcounselor.com/2008/01/the-problem-with-labeling-children/

Most of the kids are just rude and made so by their upbringing. A label sticks and I would be very very cautious of giving a child one instead of addressing bad behaviour.