What's that you say? A UK study aimed at proving that ADHD and autism are over-diagnosed actually found that we are still under-diagnosing both, and lack access to assessments remains a huge barrier to support? What a shocking and unexpected conclusion!
https://www.politicsuk.com/p/fonagy-review-rejects-blanket-overdiagnosis
Notification overwhelm! Muting so my notifications don't do that weird glitch thing again. Be kind to each other and to yourself 💜
Oct 22, 2026, 5:22 PMOn a sort of related note, the I paper today had headline that schools may need to cut support staff to help fund teacher pay rises. TAs and LSAs etc are ESSENTIAL for classroom support, cut them and children/young people facing a range of barriers to education will be the ones who lose out.
@zleap Oh I HATE that!! Teachers absolutely deserve raises, but why is that where they have to get the money from?? How are they supposed to support an entire classroom of kids without TAs and LSAs?
Oct 22, 2026, 5:25 PMI didn't read the full article, just saw the headline. You're right and we have a teacher / teacher retention crisis as it is. Take support away and we could lose more teachers.
Oct 23, 2026, 6:08 AMApparently (from elsewhere) when funding the payrise was allocated, it was calculated incorrectly, so there is a short fall. No doubt the person who did this kept their job when they should have been sacked on the spot with zero pay off for gross incompetence.
@zleap @dramypsyd this was intentionally the point almost certainly the actual problem lies with those who then decided to approve said plan without review (or ignored said review)
@dramypsyd They just can't seem to see diversity in all its forms as anything but a problem to eliminate in the name of efficiency.
As ever, Streeting got hold of a genuine issue and conflated it without understanding or nuance:
1) Neuro divergence is under-diagnosed in the UK, because nobody without serious money can access NHS assessment in a timeframe where it would remotely help.
2) As the report acknowledges, independent (ie paid-for) assessment varies wildly in quality, and essentially any parent with deep pockets can achieve a positive ADHD/ASD diagnosis if they want one.
Both of these are a problem, but Streeting decided to divert attention from 1) by conflating 2).
(Source: spouse dealt with the fall-out from this professionally until recent retirement)
@Badgardener Thank you for sharing this!
@dramypsyd are the scientologist attacking the whole continent at once?
@dramypsyd I am actually glad that autism short of nonverbal was not recognized while I was growing up. I faced enough shit as it was, and the lack of any legal/medical records that I am autistic (no formal diagnosis) has saved me from a hornet's nest of official discrimination and problems.
@LukefromDC That is fair too <3
@dramypsyd I'm betting we're the majority really.
#neurospicy
I've got a bit weird about talking about this online since diagnosis; primarily since the big push towards over-diagnosis and the medicalisation of the human condition. But I realise we should probably talk about it for visibility and so we don't feel alone, like I have a bit recently. After 5 years of extremely intrusive tests, and a general sense of 'everyone thinks they're AuDHD nowadays', which I pursued largely because a raft of previous diagnoses didn't really fit, I had a final Dx of definitely 100% no question AuDHD. However, the ongoing public narrative has convinced me that I am a stupid attention-seeking fool. I was offered medication, and despite living my life for nearly 5 decades without it, I thought it might be interesting to try it for focus. It worked but the side effects were unexpected and I immediately thought I was a huge fraud and that this journey I've been on has been some kind of incredibly self-serving nonsense, and that I'm stealing resources from people in actual need. Cue a lot of spiralling. I had a meeting today to talk about it, and was fortunate enough to have a consultant who was brilliant - basically called me a dickhead and pointed out the very very long diagnostic process isn't just guesswork and I didn't 'trick' them into believing I'm something I'm not. Still I'm not convinced. But I realise I'm probably not alone in this. It seems very very cruel to me. The journey I went on was emotionally extremely difficult and stressful. But I'm infinitely grateful to the community on here who have helped me more than I can express. If anyone feels the same or ever wants to talk about it or just shoot the shit and talk about stuff, I am always happy to chat and you're welcome to message me separately. X😊❤️
@TheBreadmonkey @dramypsyd sounds like a version of impostor syndrome.
Thank you for sharing your words, Ben.
Your journey is not yours alone. While it is unique in many ways, there is commonality with many stories. Five years is a long time, but then it took me nine years and my fourth psychologist since 'retirement' to even start.
I walked away from a career, where I had spent decades pretending I was someone I was not. Pretending to myself, most of all. It wasn't for lack of trying, but the tools I used were not a complete fit for my purpose.
I am glad you are sticking with this journey, and I wish you all the best.
@TheBreadmonkey @pathfinder @dramypsyd funny you should have a Big Conversation day in your AuDHD journey which coincides with my own personal Big Conversation day on my AuDHD journey. do we share a horoscope provider? 😂 :rainbowinfinity:
@TheBreadmonkey @pathfinder @dramypsyd (my medication adjustment conversation is a whole different thread which i won’t bother with here)
@cmdrmoto @pathfinder @dramypsyd
I would be genuinely interested, as am only a few weeks in and not sure how I should be feeling about it all.
@cmdrmoto @pathfinder @dramypsyd
It's all connected. How was your Big Convo?
@TheBreadmonkey @dramypsyd if you don't follow @robinince, strong recommend
Reminds me of the Sir Humphrey saying: "Never hold an enquiry unless you know what the result is going to be beforehand." 😀
@dramypsyd yep, no surprise there! They could have spent that money on other more useful stuff.
@aceofcosmicspace @dramypsyd like another study into the process of accessing gender affirming care, or into whether the ABC is any less efficient than it was in the previous 9 enquiries over the last decade
@dramypsyd Funny how actual data keeps ruining a perfectly good narrative. 🤷♂️ Access to care is still the real hurdle.
@dramypsyd Based on what happened to trans people you can expect the health minister to ban assessment & treatment shortly
@dramypsyd well fuck, I for one remain entirely…unsurprised.
@dramypsyd Some of the best studies arise from trying to disprove something. :)