Are ADS and ADHD diagnosed too frequently?

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Crocodile
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03 Jul 2009, 1:52 am

Here, in the Netherlands, we have the most ADHD and ASD diagnoses in Europe. Now the government wants to investigate whether all of these diagnoses are actually right, so, whether people aren't over-diagnosed. So what do you guys think? Do you too think that there are too many diagnoses being made in Autism and ADHD, and that it's starting to be common to just call an annoying kid autistic? Or do you think there are just many people with ASD?

Here's my view: I think too many people are diagnosed. I know many kids who are diagnosed with ADHD but none of them behave differently from others. As an example of a ''real'' one I know this autistic guy who very obviously has it. Even more, these so-called ''ADHD-kids'' are often spoiled brats who actually don't get their way at school all the time so they throw a tantrum. At least, that was the case some years ago. Now these people are just as normal as all the others. I think this over-diagnosing is really a problem for those who actaully have ADHD. ADHD already has the reputation of a made-up disorder.

I also think people are over-diagnosed in Autism. I know some in school who are diagnosed with PDD-NOS, but don't show any signs of autism, they just had behavioral problems like smoking and drinking at the age of 13 and such. I think they were just at a bad age and one of them was bullied for looking like a pig (very mean) and not for her inferior social skills. She just had her looks against her.


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Michjo
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03 Jul 2009, 1:59 am

Youngsters = Overdiagnosed
Adults = Underdiagnosed.

I also think it's unfair to say that all the overdiagnosed are spoilt brats, there are many explanations for bad behaviour. "Spoilt Brat", seems to be the catch all for people who can't be bothered to find out the real reasons.

I also agree with the PDD-NOS observation you made, i think most PDD-NOS diagnoses are unwarrented.



pensieve
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03 Jul 2009, 2:02 am

AS someone with both AS and concerns about having ADHD I think it may be over diagnosed or misdiagnosed, but in no way do I think it's a made up disorder.
ADHD explains why I was the most underachieving child in school and AS explains why I was the loneliest child in school.
I take offense that you refer to people with ADHD as being spoiled brats. People have said the same about autistic kids.
Maybe it is being over diagnosed but there are still people that get diagnosed with it that have it and get the support they need.


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SteveeVader
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03 Jul 2009, 2:03 am

agree with u mich too many adults who escaped the net are suffering with obvious aspergers whilst many youngsters are being diagnosed with too little evidence



rainbowbutterfly
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03 Jul 2009, 2:45 am

As a substitute assistant for special ed I have seen autistic preschoolers that appeared more normal than I was at their age (i.e. there was someone with no learning delays, appropriate eye contact, and more talkative behavior), but who knows.
Perhaps psychologists should first find out whether the childrens' behaviors are learned from the family environment or naturally ingrained in them before making a diagnosis.



sunshower
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03 Jul 2009, 3:15 am

I'm someone with long diagnosed AS and recently finally confirmed ADD (inattentive ADHD) diagnosis (although I was misdiagnosed with ADHD a few years ago - which put me off track, because I thought it must be wrong because I didn't have the hyperactive component).

I was chatting to a friend of mine who is studying med, and he says that overdiagnosed ADHD is a serious problem in the community because if a kid who isn't ADHD takes ritalin when they're young, then usually afterwards once they're older they have to go on anti-depressents for the rest of their life because it changes their brain in the wrong way.

This is the big risk with misdiagnosed ADHD/ADD, because a lot of misdiagnosed kids get forced onto massive doses of ritalin from a young age - doses sometimes as large as 50 to 100mg a day, and of course it will screw with them because ritalin is a dangerous drug (it contains amphetamines).

I am someone who is definitely a true case of ADD (when I told the psychiatrist of my childhood experiences, such as losing hours of time, getting locked in rooms, forgetting to go to classes, losing $1000's of dollars worth of stuff even though I tried my hardest, and that ritalin changed my grades so much so that I went from scraping through in school to finishing in the top 2% of the state, he said to me that there was absolutely no doubt that I am ADD), but when I went on ritalin I started on 40mg twice a day, quickly dropped down to 20mg twice a day, then dropped to 10mg twice a day (on school days only). These days I only take a 10mg tablet if I am doing an assignment etc. Even though I was at the start of taking ritalin (which in true cases of ADHD the most effective method is to start at the max dose then decrease over time), 40mg was still *too much*. It scares me s**tless to think of a normal child being forced to take 100mg a day. I think if I was forced to take 100mg a day I would go mad.


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