Autism and Aspergers Syndrome

[Heltor Chasca]

I am 44. When I was a kid, there were two people I knew who had Aspergers Syndrome.

Now it seems fairly common and almost the norm. Our mainstream primary school has a fair number of pupils with either autism or Aspergers Syndrome. A couple of friends have lovely kids with either too.

Is there an increase or have diagnostic techniques improved?

 

[midlife]

It's really a broad spectrum and not a neatly packaged syndrome.... About 1 in 50 currently ?

 

[MikeG]

No increase, it's just that people now recognise the range of behaviours/ symptoms. My eldest daughter has Aspergers. As you note, they're usually lovely kids, and often very high achievers.

 

[DCLane]

+1 to @MikeG's comment - it's about recognition more than anything else. My eldest was diagnosed with Asperger's at 16 - just having an understanding of why he thinks the way he does has helped him.

We're all on the spectrum somewhere. Those diagnosed simply are further along the scale ...

 

[PK99]

I am 44. When I was a kid, there were two people I knew who had Aspergers Syndrome.

Now it seems fairly common and almost the norm. Our mainstream primary school has a fair number of pupils with either autism or Aspergers Syndrome. A couple of friends have lovely kids with either too.

Is there an increase or have diagnostic techniques improved?

The school of which I was parent governor 15 or so years ago - solid leafy suburban middle-class area - had a disproportionately high SEN % compared to other schools in the borough, many in less favorable areas. Fellow governors and I had a strong suspicion that the high % was a means for the head teacher to justify employing her friend as part-time SEN support teacher. The replacement head concurred and the SEN support hours were significantly reduced.

More recently, I have been reading reports suggesting that Autism/Aspergers/ADHD are in some cases being used to excuse poor parenting especially in families with two full time working parents and also that High Functioning Autism is seen as a "badge of honour" by some parents.

On the other hand, I have friends who do have truly Aspergers kids. One in particular, showed many of the classic obsessive traits from a very early age, and later needed much coaching for exams, because he simply did not see the need to write down things he thought were so obvious everyone must know them. After graduating with a decent degree, he is now an EFL teacher in Japan.

 

[Drago]

I was diagnosed as being on the ASD spectrum at 48. Its not a big deal, I'm not Rain Man or owt like that, but it does explain a few things, and the counselling gives me mechanisms to try and head off some of the least desirable aspects.

 

[Bazzer]

I think diagnostic techniques have improved, which IMHO is a good thing as people with it see the world differently. One of our daughters falls within the ASD spectrum, but I outscored her when my my wife, who was a SENCO for 25 years ran some tests. My school career should have been very different to what it was.

 

[Easytigers]

Both of my kids have their own unique needs :-) my wife and I both both joke about them inheriting it from the ‘other’ family’s gene pool...but we’re both quirky in our own ways! However, just glad that we have beautiful children that we love to bits (although I’m sure that they annoy the crap out of other people all of the time!)

 

[Slick]

I think there is a programme on later this week that suggests were all probably on the spectrum to some degree.

A guy at work told me last week that his son had this and he loves the football but had to stop as his son couldn't handle the noise. My team, Glasgow Rangers now have a sensory room to allow access to all fans. First in Scotland I believe, so kudos for that.

 

[jefmcg]

I am 44. When I was a kid, there were two people I knew who had Aspergers Syndrome.

I don't think there were. Wikipedia says the the diagnosis for Aspergers only became standardised in the 1990, which matches my hazy recollection.

I would assume they had autism. Someone who would today be non-controversially diagnosed as Aspergers would have been regarded as neurologically normal back in the 70s or 80s. That would explain a lot of the increase as you would be comparing strict and severe autism diagnoses when you were are a kid with broader "spectrum" diagnosis .now (as well as over diagnosis mentioned above)

I've worked with a few, I think - IT - never diagnosed, as far as I know. They are happy, productive members of society, if a bit annoying. I don't think they missed out because they were not identified. However, that does not mean that there were not others who were at a disadvantage by receiving no special help, and were not able to carve a place in society. I would never have worked with them.

 

[User10119]

As I recently said elsewhere on here,
[QUOTE 5157136, member: 10119"]I imagine that most of the not neuro-typical bods you probably encounter day to day are the people who have found the strategies that allow them to get along with their lives in that environment. There will be others for whom those environments are too disabling, but you'll probably not see them.[/QUOTE]
My eldest wouldn't have been diagnosed with autism 20 years ago. He would still have been autistic.

 

[User10119]

The school of which I was parent governor 15 or so years ago - solid leafy suburban middle-class area - had a disproportionately high SEN % compared to other schools in the borough, many in less favorable areas.

I'm not aware of socio-economic deprivation being a causative factor in ASC. I suspect it _is_ quite commonly quite the opposite in the _diagnosis_ of ASC - middle class entitled parents are in my experience FAR more effective at squeaky-wheeling until their child's barriers to learning are identified and their child's additional needs are met. I also know of several very lovely leafy schools who have surprisingly high percentages of children with SEN; some mainstream schools are just a bit better at handling SEND and so get a reputation for that which means that more parents whose children have SEND choose that school which means the school has to deal with more SEND and get better at it and their reputation spreads and so a virtuous circle starts...

More recently, I have been reading reports suggesting that Autism/Aspergers/ADHD are in some cases being used to excuse poor parenting especially in families with two full time working parents and also that High Functioning Autism is seen as a "badge of honour" by some parents.

Any clues as to where said "reports" can be found?

On the other hand, I have friends who do have truly Aspergers kids

Care to share on what basis you're qualified to make the judgement as which kids 'truly' have ASC and which don't?

 

[User10119]

[QUOTE 5193278, member: 10119"]Any clues as to where said "reports" can be found?[/QUOTE]

@PK99 - I'm still wondering if there is a source you'd care to share for the 'information' about SEND diagnosis being used as an excuse for poor parenting/working parents etc?

 

[PK99]

[QUOTE 5194601, member: 10119"]@PK99 - I'm still wondering if there is a source you'd care to share for the 'information' about SEND diagnosis being used as an excuse for poor parenting/working parents etc?[/QUOTE]

Try this for one:

“Autism in all its degrees has been much more recognised today than it used to be and there is a lot of work being done with kids day to day, but it is vastly over-diagnosed. In some cases, it’s a sort of middle-class parents’ way out of having to accept any of the responsibility for what their kid is like. It’s almost a badge of honour, people carry it around like a handbag.”

Shooter, a former president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists (the first specialist in children and adolescents to hold the post), says that some parents like a diagnosis of Asperger’s syndrome (a condition on the autism spectrum) because many of those with the developmental disability have high cognitive function or intense interests. “It’s something you can boast about: ‘My kid’s got Asperger’s.’ ‘Oh yes, I read something about that. I think one of my kids might have had a touch of Asperger’s.’ It becomes a bit of kudos.”



https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/autism-is-vastly-overdiagnosed-its-the-parentswayout-xzwlg2wsx

 

[User10119]

Try this for one:

“Autism in all its degrees has been much more recognised today than it used to be and there is a lot of work being done with kids day to day, but it is vastly over-diagnosed. In some cases, it’s a sort of middle-class parents’ way out of having to accept any of the responsibility for what their kid is like. It’s almost a badge of honour, people carry it around like a handbag.”

Shooter, a former president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists (the first specialist in children and adolescents to hold the post), says that some parents like a diagnosis of Asperger’s syndrome (a condition on the autism spectrum) because many of those with the developmental disability have high cognitive function or intense interests. “It’s something you can boast about: ‘My kid’s got Asperger’s.’ ‘Oh yes, I read something about that. I think one of my kids might have had a touch of Asperger’s.’ It becomes a bit of kudos.”



https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/autism-is-vastly-overdiagnosed-its-the-parentswayout-xzwlg2wsx

Which appears to be paywalled. He seems to have said the same thing, or similar things, in the daily fail tho http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5370241/Parents-want-children-labelled-autistic.html

Which has been disputed by at least one of his Royal College colleagues here https://www.mentalhealthtoday.co.uk...in-the-uk-says-royal-college-of-psychiatrists including the comment that

But does this hold true in the UK?
On the whole, no.
Fewer people are diagnosed than expected, given prevalence rates of such conditions. Rather than a UK epidemic of over-diagnosis, neurodevelopmental disorders are probably being under-diagnosed or are being under-recognised