Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think there is a flaw in the dx process. The teacher forms ask questions that ask them to compare to other students. As more students are dx they are medicated and they are more focused. Then the kids who aren’t medicated seem off the scale as comparison so they end up getting dx. So more and more kids get dx’d.

More absolute bull shite.

Jfc - it’s ok for other people to question how diagnoses are formed. Are you the dsm? Let people speak - obv many of us feel this way.

I my circle, solidly half the kids have something like looks at least adhd to me. We moved to a new town 6 years ago so our circle is small. And ds has pretty severe social issues so while I’ve met parents through school, in most cases it’s not because our kids were friends. The three friends that ds has either become natural friends with (or I made friends with the parents and the kids got along at least tolerably) - two for sure have the adhd diagnosis (and parents have hinted at borderline asd) and the other one seems pretty obvious to me as adhd (bouncing off the walls). One couple we’ve recently become friends with, their daughter is on the spectrum. Another couple we’ve recently become friends with, our social group speculates that dad is on the spectrum - and I think son has similar traits. Another good friend of mine - her kid used to always have a hard time at bday parties because he was “emotionally intense” and recently changed schools because he was developing tics. A couple of those families have seconds kids who seem NT. And my closest friend’s kids are all NT. But the rest of that list are my closest friends or ds’s closest friends and all have one SN kid (or I would at least a speculate, being very familiar with the criteria). While the kids who ds is friends with id say there was a like finds like thing, DH and I are both NT and don’t have social issues - so it doesn’t explain why our friends kids are also SN.

Also, ds goes to a gifted school and that place is like half asd on the boys side. At a welcome brunch years ago, the counselor even said as much (essentially saying she ran a lot of social skills groups because with a highly gifted population, a significant number of kids were borderline spectrum at least as relates to social skills). When I’m on campus, this is pretty obvious.

Yes, OP. ALL kids have ASD/ADHD. Every kid can get dx and get pills to ace tests. They all watch screens all day long!

That's what you wanted to hear, right?

Anonymous wrote:I think there is a flaw in the dx process. The teacher forms ask questions that ask them to compare to other students. As more students are dx they are medicated and they are more focused. Then the kids who aren’t medicated seem off the scale as comparison so they end up getting dx. So more and more kids get dx’d.

More absolute bull shite.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A ton of kids are getting adhd asd dx now bc they changed the dsm so asd is basically the most vague dx ever. Adhd is a pretty black and white dx in that if you have adhd, stimulants or non stimulants will help your symptoms and if they don’t then you prob don’t have it. Asd is like - do you not have tons of friends, are you not super easy going, do you cry a lot, do you get frustrated a lot, are you immature for your age, are you depressed or anxious as a teen? If answer yes to any of above then congrats in 2023 you can get an asd dx and then your school will have to actually help you

This is all nonsense, fyi.

Tell that to the guy who helped widen the asd dx

https://nypost.com/2023/04/24/doctor-who-broadened-autism-spectrum-sorry-for-over-diagnosis/

Again, this is not the standard most psychologists use. This is just one disgruntled guy in a junk media outlet.

Are you a troll? We don’t like trolls in the SN forum. This is a safe, informed, place. Not a place to spread misinformation.

+100

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't have a tinfoil hat but I think most everyone can present with ADHD (lack of sleep, food colors, too much stimulus). I've often wondered if the whole world could benefit from ADHD meds that help you concentrate. Plenty of kids take Adderall to help them ace the SAT and high stakes tests.

I also think most people have varying levels of autism. I have trouble looking people in the eye while speaking and also difficulty in social situations.

<sigh> You demonstrate a fundamental lack of understanding ADHD and ASD. As a PP noted, kids with ADHD aren't taking medication to ace tests. And, I'll add, people can struggle with sensory processing and social situations and NOT be on the AS. They can also stim and not be on the AS.

ADHD medication, whether a stimulant or not, is to improve regulation of attention, not improve concentration. Huge difference.

Yes, for just about everyone, ADHD medication lengthens attention, which improves concentration.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, but with the amount of screen time all these kids are getting, they will present as if they had ADD or ADHD because it saps their ability to hold attention (mine too, I'm well aware!)

It has the exact opposite effect on people with adhd.

Screen time? That PP was right, screen time shortens attention span, making more kids (and adults) seem to be ADHD.

Anonymous wrote:No, but with the amount of screen time all these kids are getting, they will present as if they had ADD or ADHD because it saps their ability to hold attention (mine too, I'm well aware!)

It has the exact opposite effect on people with adhd.

I think there is a flaw in the dx process. The teacher forms ask questions that ask them to compare to other students. As more students are dx they are medicated and they are more focused. Then the kids who aren’t medicated seem off the scale as comparison so they end up getting dx. So more and more kids get dx’d.

Anonymous wrote:I don't have a tinfoil hat but I think most everyone can present with ADHD (lack of sleep, food colors, too much stimulus). I've often wondered if the whole world could benefit from ADHD meds that help you concentrate. Plenty of kids take Adderall to help them ace the SAT and high stakes tests.

I also think most people have varying levels of autism. I have trouble looking people in the eye while speaking and also difficulty in social situations.

<sigh> You demonstrate a fundamental lack of understanding ADHD and ASD. As a PP noted, kids with ADHD aren't taking medication to ace tests. And, I'll add, people can struggle with sensory processing and social situations and NOT be on the AS. They can also stim and not be on the AS.

ADHD medication, whether a stimulant or not, is to improve regulation of attention, not improve concentration. Huge difference.

Anonymous wrote:Seriously? Every single girl you know has a diagnosis? The vast majority of my daughter’s sports teams, dance class and Girl Scouts are NT. Only 1-2 girls in each activity I’d say aren’t NT.

My son is ADHD/ASD and he gravitates towards friends and activities with boys that are like him. So yes I know a lot of boys with diagnoses. But that is skewed.

How could you possibly know the medical history of every girl in your daughter’s activities?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A ton of kids are getting adhd asd dx now bc they changed the dsm so asd is basically the most vague dx ever. Adhd is a pretty black and white dx in that if you have adhd, stimulants or non stimulants will help your symptoms and if they don’t then you prob don’t have it. Asd is like - do you not have tons of friends, are you not super easy going, do you cry a lot, do you get frustrated a lot, are you immature for your age, are you depressed or anxious as a teen? If answer yes to any of above then congrats in 2023 you can get an asd dx and then your school will have to actually help you

This is all nonsense, fyi.

Tell that to the guy who helped widen the asd dx

https://nypost.com/2023/04/24/doctor-who-broadened-autism-spectrum-sorry-for-over-diagnosis/

Again, this is not the standard most psychologists use. This is just one disgruntled guy in a junk media outlet.

Are you a troll? We don’t like trolls in the SN forum. This is a safe, informed, place. Not a place to spread misinformation.

- I am not a troll
- junk media outlet aside, dr Frances is regularly featured in mainstream media outlets
- at least every week on this forum are people expressing the same frustration, none of whom are trolls

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't have a tinfoil hat but I think most everyone can present with ADHD (lack of sleep, food colors, too much stimulus). I've often wondered if the whole world could benefit from ADHD meds that help you concentrate. Plenty of kids take Adderall to help them ace the SAT and high stakes tests.

I also think most people have varying levels of autism. I have trouble looking people in the eye while speaking and also difficulty in social situations.

But ADHD kids take meds so they can brush their teeth, not so they can ace the SAT.

Also the point is that one way of being sure that adhd is the correct dx is to see if adhd meds make symptoms better. If someone is not symptomatic to begin with then it’s moot. But if they are symptomatic but no adhd med helps then likely adhd is the wrong dx

Anonymous wrote:If your sample is your kids friends, it's possible that ADHD kids find each other and get each other.
I say that because my DD's group doesn't have anyone with ADHD. I know a few kids in her grade who do but they just don't gel.

Yes, this. Almost all my friends have ADHD. Like finds like.

Also I think that many of DD's friends are on the spectrum because socially awkward kids gravitate toward each other (and no I am not saying that social awkwardness = ASD).

Anonymous wrote:I don't have a tinfoil hat but I think most everyone can present with ADHD (lack of sleep, food colors, too much stimulus). I've often wondered if the whole world could benefit from ADHD meds that help you concentrate. Plenty of kids take Adderall to help them ace the SAT and high stakes tests.

I also think most people have varying levels of autism. I have trouble looking people in the eye while speaking and also difficulty in social situations.

But ADHD kids take meds so they can brush their teeth, not so they can ace the SAT.