An official review in England has found there is a risk of people being over-diagnosed with ADHD and autism.

Autistic people are still viewed as ‘Peter Pans,’  ( children that never grow into adults), there is no mention in the reports of help for older autistic people. I often wonder what governments think happens to autistic children?

Roy said:

I often wonder what governments think happens to autistic children?

They seem to think there is a high probability of us growing to be a net liability to the state.

Only 20% of autistic adults work I believe so 80% are not contributing income taxes / NI, we probably don't consume much so are not paying much tax / VAT and have a fairly high rate (relative to NTs) of being on benefits because of our issues.

I suspect they want to reduce the numbers who can use a diagnosis to support PIP claims etc so will push to reduce the ability to get diagnosed.

Pensioners are probably the biggest net cost to the state and the government are formulating ways to strip back the money they get and if they go after this vulnerable group then NDs seem fair game.

Just my suspicions.

I will be of pension age in 3 years and I'd be quite happy for the triple lock to go and for there to be a double lock of 2.5% or inflation if its higher than 2.5%. I know theres still a lot of pensioners living in poverty, but theres a lot more who aren't and are fit and healthy and on good final salary workplace pensions.

I tried to get PIP and didn't have nearly enough points in each catagory, I didn't have enough points in any catagory. It's a really confusing system that I dont' really think is fit for purpose. As with many other benefits I dont' know how people manage to get the ones they do and at a high rate, most people, myself included struggle to get what the state says we're entitled too.

I think many ND people would love to have a job, but there are either no jobs to be had, or employers make things difficult. The government make it difficult for people to be self employed too, the tax system can be hard to navigate, almost everyone is having to VAT register now which puts prices up and they're having to VAT register because prices have gone up and and the amount you can earn before paying tax has remained the same. The whole system from banks, advisors to government seem to think that everyone will be setting up a shop or light industrial unit, employing others and making a profit from day one. Being a sole trader isn't understood at all, they don't see that you have overheads like training, insurance, equipment etc. The other thing with being self employed is no sickness benefit, so if you're in slightly dodgy health or even fall off a ladder, thats it no money coming in. You pretty much have to declare yourself bankrupt, which in itself costs hundreds, to be able to get any help at all. 

To be honest I dont' think its just about money, I think its a genuine shock to many at the numbers of young people who are suffering. When I was counselling 30 years ago, we were saying then that there was a mental health crisis among the young coming down the track, espcially among young men. I'm only surprised that its taken this long to recognise it. And of course many of the people who are ND deniers are the ones who were either inadaquately supported when they were young or things like Autism genuinely didn't exist. In may life time I've seen so many changes to the things we recognise as educational mental health issues and ND that were never thought of when I was a young woman, let alone when I was at school.

I think older people have always thought the young have it easy and ought to be grateful, otherwise why else would there be the saying, 'school days are the best days of your life', when for so many they are and were torture.

I will be of pension age in 3 years and I'd be quite happy for the triple lock to go and for there to be a double lock of 2.5% or inflation if its higher than 2.5%. I know theres still a lot of pensioners living in poverty, but theres a lot more who aren't and are fit and healthy and on good final salary workplace pensions.

I tried to get PIP and didn't have nearly enough points in each catagory, I didn't have enough points in any catagory. It's a really confusing system that I dont' really think is fit for purpose. As with many other benefits I dont' know how people manage to get the ones they do and at a high rate, most people, myself included struggle to get what the state says we're entitled too.

I think many ND people would love to have a job, but there are either no jobs to be had, or employers make things difficult. The government make it difficult for people to be self employed too, the tax system can be hard to navigate, almost everyone is having to VAT register now which puts prices up and they're having to VAT register because prices have gone up and and the amount you can earn before paying tax has remained the same. The whole system from banks, advisors to government seem to think that everyone will be setting up a shop or light industrial unit, employing others and making a profit from day one. Being a sole trader isn't understood at all, they don't see that you have overheads like training, insurance, equipment etc. The other thing with being self employed is no sickness benefit, so if you're in slightly dodgy health or even fall off a ladder, thats it no money coming in. You pretty much have to declare yourself bankrupt, which in itself costs hundreds, to be able to get any help at all. 

To be honest I dont' think its just about money, I think its a genuine shock to many at the numbers of young people who are suffering. When I was counselling 30 years ago, we were saying then that there was a mental health crisis among the young coming down the track, espcially among young men. I'm only surprised that its taken this long to recognise it. And of course many of the people who are ND deniers are the ones who were either inadaquately supported when they were young or things like Autism genuinely didn't exist. In may life time I've seen so many changes to the things we recognise as educational mental health issues and ND that were never thought of when I was a young woman, let alone when I was at school.

I think older people have always thought the young have it easy and ought to be grateful, otherwise why else would there be the saying, 'school days are the best days of your life', when for so many they are and were torture.