Somewhere over the rainbow

As I was reading an article today on 'The Over-Diagnosis of Autism', I began to feel more and more frustrated and angry. The claim was that pediatricians in NSW are deliberately diagnosing non-genuine cases of Autism so that schools can access funding. Now this is a double pronged sting for parents like me.

I highly doubt that pediatricians are genuinely doing what the article claims and simply exaggerating learning difficulties to be able to diagnose Autism. For one it's exceptionally unethical, and secondly, unless the rules are very different in NSW to Victoria, most the children wouldn't qualify for much aide time anyway, merely off the back of an ASD diagnosis. You see not only do you have to drag your child through a harrowing set of assessments to gain a diagnosis in the first place, to qualify for aide time, the numbers need to be quite severe.

Articles such as this perpetuate the inane and stupid comments and thoughts that harm families like ours. Silly claims such as Autism is the new 'flavour of the month' and is 'the new ADHD of the decade'. Insinuations that we can, and would, just walk in to a doctors office and say "Hi, please diagnose my child with Autism" and get a response like "Sure, and while you're here, here's a huge wad of cash." Let me assure you once and for all, there is no free ride for kids on the spectrum, and diagnosis' and aide time are not handed out like free cookies.

For any pediatrician who is genuinely doing this, they should not only be stripped of their medical licence, they should be shot. Not only does it put an additional strain on the already scarce amount of government funding available, it cheapens the pain and trials that parents like myself go through every day. Yes, over-diagnosis can be an issue, and it certainly did happen back in the late 80's and early 90's with ADHD/ADD but I can once again be sure it wasn't for some mystical great pool of free money or aide time. These days for any diagnosis, even ADHD, the rules have changed and the hurdles are set that much higher as a consequence of the past abuse.

If Autism is supposedly "the new ADHD" and so popular, why is it that parents are still getting diagnosis' of ADHD today? I can just imagine it now in the pediatricians office "I think your child has ADHD" with the mother replying "Oh no! That's too 90's, give me Autism, that's what's cool!". Also how come children on spectrum commonly have a double diagnosis of ASD and ADHD? I bet you think they wanted to be double cool and get twice the money.

There is nothing "Cool" "Hip" or "Very now" about Autism at all. Parents with children genuinely on the spectrum struggle every day to fight for what they need for their child and still quite often can't obtain it.