The Good Doctor’s version of autism masks a grimmer truth of badly failed children | Martha Gill

Tales of ‘too much’ progress don’t stand up when severe cases are still being treated with a Victorian harshness, as recent disturbing footage showsTo the optimist, it may seem as though we are at last emerging from a dark age when it comes to children with neurological and learning disorders. After decades of tireless campaigning, life for those with ADHD, autism and dyslexia is getting better. We have come a long way from the playground slurs of the 1990s or the 1970s idea that emotionally withdrawn “refrigerator mothers” caused autism.In fact, the speed and scale of the change has alarmed some experts. A new worry has emerged: over-diagnosis. Over the past 20 years, for example, there has been a near 800% rise in the numbers of children diagnosed with autism, and ADHD diagnosis has similarly exploded. Fear of tarring children with these labels once kept numbers down, are we now applying them too liberally?Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a letter of up to 250 words to be considered for publication, email it to us at [email protected] Continue reading...