I’ve just read One in 14 children (or rather their parents) are currently claiming DLA for ADHD or autism.

Luckygirl3

My concern is that a lot of problems are produced by the school environment. The school setting can be very hard for children who do not fit the mould. Maybe the mould needs to be changed.

But so it has always been.

MayBee70

Many years ago I had a friend who was a primary school headmistress and I can remember her telling me that ‘there is no such thing as dyslexia’, At least, thankfully, things have come on a bit since then.

Sorry MatBee70, Peter Hitchens has a piece in the daily mail saying dyslexia doesn’t exist. So thst must be true. What a relief, we can cancel the assessment my grandson is having. Even better, we can tell his school that the two staff members who claim to be dyslexic are fakes

My concern is that a lot of problems are produced by the school environment. The school setting can be very hard for children who do not fit the mould. Maybe the mould needs to be changed.

Many years ago I had a friend who was a primary school headmistress and I can remember her telling me that ‘there is no such thing as dyslexia’, At least, thankfully, things have come on a bit since then.

Luckygirl3

So many new diagnoses since I was a social worker in what is now CAMHS.

How do you make the distinction between those who represent a variant of the normal spectrum of characteristics that we all possess and when that spills over into a diagnosable condition that needs treatment and qualifies for benefits?

And if they all have diagnosable conditions then why is this epidemic happening? Is there some environmental factor?

It is all very worrying.

Part of the exponential growth in neural diversity diagnosese, is that it was not recognised or acknowledged in the past, so you have a population of people from 0 - 90 plus, who have lived with all kinds of minor problems and difficulties and now find there is an explanation.

However for DS and I, it started 40 years ago with DS's problems with writing. I read an article in the newsletter of asmall charity I was involved with about a university research project looking at bright children who were clumsy, cack handed, couldn't ride bikes and had writing problems. He was assessed, and recognised as being in the group they were looking at and given specialised exercises to do. I mentioned to the therapist that I had similar problems, she said she had noticed this and I had the same analysis and treatment.

A year or two later it was suggested DS had ADHD and we could both see that if he had it, I undoubtedly had it. We did our own research together with other members of the charity group I was involved in, but the problem wasn't recognised then so apart from giving us self knowledge, very useful, that was that.

How far those with neural diversity actually are so disabled they qualify for benefits, I do have doubts. I have never met anyone with neural diversity - autism apart, and autism does need to be seen very seperately who could not function in the normal world.

Caleo , concerning people who label themselves "victim" is it not the job of the education system to teach children how to take responsibility for themselves.

Yes, of course it is, why should it be other? But what has a label of 'victim' got to do with the education system teaching children how to take responsibility for themselves?

We have seen with DS and now DGS, just how minor adjustments or teachers just knowing about a child's difficulty can solvee the problem.

Our DGS has disautonomia, which means that if his heart rate gets out of sync, he may faint and at other times suffers from extreme fatigue. If he looks very tired in class or puts his head on his hands, the teacher will not reprimand him, or do anything to draw attention to it.

I saw something on Facebook which said that many children have adverse reactions to some of the additives in food. It reminded me of when my son was an uncontrollable toddler from hell and I read about the effect that orange food colouring had on some children ( was it called tartrazine?). Anyway, I removed it from his diet and he became the quiet, gentle person that he is now. And my daughter would limit the amount of coca cola her sons had ( it was only ever an occasional treat anyway) because it made them totally hyper. I know if I have a cup of coffee in the evening I’m awake all night.

If I engaged a builder to assess a house for possible dampness I'd expect to pay him to assess possibilities that were not right in front of his eyes. I hope that advanced problem solving is taught to all children who are capable of it.

You mention one specific.
Advanced problem solving is taught to children who are capable of it, but which of the multiplicity of problems that need solving would you focus on and at what age?

MOnika, concerning people who label themselves "victim" is it not the job of the education system to teach children how to take responsibility for themselves.

You and your son learned this lesson. We need to ask the question "why has this other child not learned to be responsible for herself?" I imagine the answer to that question reveals whether the claimant needs educating or alternatively welfare benefits.

So many new diagnoses since I was a social worker in what is now CAMHS.

How do you make the distinction between those who represent a variant of the normal spectrum of characteristics that we all possess and when that spills over into a diagnosable condition that needs treatment and qualifies for benefits?

And if they all have diagnosable conditions then why is this epidemic happening? Is there some environmental factor?

It is all very worrying.

It's not a case of practical skills versus academic skills. It's a case of being able to think ideas including original ideas, versus not being able to think ideas.

There really are people who are 'slow learners '. I used to be ferried around on a minibus by a driver who one would not have discussed abstract ideas with , but who was a capable driver and had the sort of licence that allowed him to transport passengers.

Builders, plumbers, and electricians however need to be able to think about diverse possibilities , and not simply conforming to a simple skill like handling a vehicle in city traffic. If I engaged a builder to assess a house for possible dampness I'd expect to pay him to assess possibilities that were not right in front of his eyes. I hope that advanced problem solving is taught to all children who are capable of it.

kircubbin2000

A man I know who has MS which does not prevent him going to the gym and leading a normal life has these benefits. His wife can't work as a hairdresser because she is allergic to dye and his son is autistic too although he goes to a normal school and plays sports .They have a big suv car given to them.

And ……

M0nica

ADHD children do not face a hopeless future, nor are they best left learning practical skills.

DS and I both have several degrees. DS is a university academic. I had a successful managerial career in industry. DGS is also academically bright and doing fine.

The problem is the current enthusiasm for everyone being a victim, the last thing you should be these days is be practical and optimistic about managing if life deals you a few minor problems, instead you get a label stick it on and then look pathetic and expect everyone to run round you.

It also does a disservice to those who do have real and diificult problems and who struggle to get the help they really do need.

👏👏👏👏

Many people on the spectrum are “high functioning” and quite capable of working, with support.

My DD is autistic, has ADHD, went to Uni, living away from home, and is a full time school teacher.

My friends son, less high functioning, works part time in McDonalds, my other friends son is doing an in grad course in performing arts.

Many, many people on the spectrum are making contributions to this country.

mum2three
The current system is flawed. Many children are much better suited to learning practical skills, not learning from books.

But practical skills or courses are not valued by many parents, which is strange, because the need for builders, plumbers, electricians, etc has never been higher.

ADHD children do not face a hopeless future, nor are they best left learning practical skills.

DS and I both have several degrees. DS is a university academic. I had a successful managerial career in industry. DGS is also academically bright and doing fine.

The problem is the current enthusiasm for everyone being a victim, the last thing you should be these days is be practical and optimistic about managing if life deals you a few minor problems, instead you get a label stick it on and then look pathetic and expect everyone to run round you.

It also does a disservice to those who do have real and diificult problems and who struggle to get the help they really do need.

It doesn't mean they face a hopeless future. Our education system needs to cater for all children. The current system is flawed. Many children are much better suited to learning practical skills, not learning from books. These children are being labelled as useless, whereas they just need to be given attention appropriate to them.
One of the biggest problems with having a large population is that individuals are not valued. Some are discarded simply because there are plenty to take their place.

Diagnoses of special needs for unusual difficulties will inevitably keep pace with what the national budget will sustain.

This is okay except that some who are in actual need will fall through the grid.

Your point is kircubbin200?

A man I know who has MS which does not prevent him going to the gym and leading a normal life has these benefits. His wife can't work as a hairdresser because she is allergic to dye and his son is autistic too although he goes to a normal school and plays sports .They have a big suv car given to them.

I Mayhave sourced the newspaper article from which the headline of this thread came from.
www.msn.com/en-gb/health/other/opinion-i-m-sorry-but-adhd-has-become-a-scam-that-is-wildly-overdiagnosed-and-an-excuse-for-poor-behaviour/ar-AA1AMb82?ocid=winp2fptaskbar&cvid=0f86b1c611704704bf2af6e533968b34&ei=10

The link title gives you the tone of the article, but in it the author writes:
But the problem goes further. ADHD is, for instance, not only one of the most popular grounds for obtaining that useful state benefit, Personal Independence Payments – it’s number 14 of the 500 grounds for claiming

I find the mention of '14' significant.

Personally, it is over 30 years since it was suggested that DS and I had ADHD. No one knew about it then. Now both DS and DGS await diagnosis. Over the last 30 years I have met people struggling with similar problems to ours.

The most signifcant thing about us, is that none of us have been disruptive, uncontrollable or had any of the other problems mentioned at a level that could ever justify receiving disability benefits and I think the proportion of those with ADHD whose problems with the problem are serious to need it is very few indeed.

That we, individually, have problems caused by it, is without doubt, but disturbed enough to be on benefits, certainly not, and while not ruling it out entirely I would expect the numbers, needing more than help with managing the condition and learning to live with it are very few indeed.

I have been very interested in this discussion as recently back from a visit to the family in Australia. GS aged 7 was diagnosed with ADHD last year and is on medication, and GD (his twin) is just in the process of starting medication. Their father and his sister and one cousin have also recently been diagnosed! My DD informs me that there is a shortage of ADHD medication in Australia at the moment, which does not surprise me at all. Just in the twins year at school there seem to be at least half a dozen children who queue up for their tablets at lunchtime, and others who are in the process of diagnosis. I do appreciate that they need to have appropriate diagnosis and treatment but I hate the thought of such young children on medication (possibly for life) GS has two tablets a day plus melatonin to help him get to sleep at the end of the day. GD's medication has been complicated by being coeliac, some ADHD medication apparently contains gluten (who would think of that?) So it is just as big a problem over the other side of the world as it is here in the UK. It makes me rather sad......

I worry about the future. For some people, these conditions render them incapable of any kind of work or independent living, and will need much support for the whole of their life. I do not know, and could not guess, what proportion these are of the numbers quoted.
For others, I would hope that they can work through their difficulties in order that they can be employed, enjoy relationships, go on interesting trips and so on. Life without these seems rather bleak to me.
And, of course, there are financial ramifications for the whole of society if such a percentage of young people are unfit to work.

Yes. To give the book it's full title: The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness.

Review here:

www.theguardian.com/books/2024/mar/21/the-anxious-generation-by-jonathan-haidt-a-pocket-full-of-poison

It needs to stop, doesn't it?

Has snyone read The Anxious Generation. By Jonathan Haidt. It explains a lot about how children born after 1995 have had their brains rewired thru hitting puberty around 2010....broadband. social media 24/7 ,sleep deprivation, social skills deptivation and attention deficit. These poor kids have been failed by us all while the tech giants have made their billions.

FGT where do you get the statistic for one in 14 children?

I believe the poster read it somewhere.