“It seems like everyone is getting diagnosed with ADHD or Autism these days”
Of course more people are being diagnosed with ADHD and Autism, when…
* based on UK facts and statistics *
These diagnoses are relatively new. Autism was only introduced into the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) in 1980 as ‘Infantile Autism’, and ADHD in 1968 as ‘Hyperkinetic Reaction of Childhood’.
But, the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) only recognised childhood ADHD in 2000, and ADHD in adults in 2008. This then enabled people to be diagnosed with ADHD in the UK.
Adult autism assessments are only recently somewhat accessible. In 2009, less than 50% of local authorities had adult autism diagnosis services, but by 2019 this was 93% (National Autistic Society, 2019). It was the Autism Act of 2009 which made it a statutory duty for local authorities to provide adult autism diagnostic services. This was only 14 years ago.
It is only in the past few years that awareness of autistic and ADHD girls and women has increased. The idea that girls and women are not autistic or ADHD prevented many being diagnosed and supported.
But people haven’t suddenly developed Autism and ADHD. There have always been autistic and ADHD people.
History documents traits resembling ADHD and Autism. Hippocrates, ‘the father of modern medicine’ (460-375 BC) described patients who could not focus and had fast reactions around 490 BC. He believed this was due to an “overbalance of fire over water”.
Victor of Aveyron was a child believed to be feral, found aged 9 in 1797. He was non-speaking, rocked back and forth, grinded his teeth and made sudden movements. It has recently been suggested that he may have been autistic.
There have always been autistic and ADHD people. We are just now learning more about it, so more people are being diagnosed. This is a good thing.
References:
ADHD UK. (undated). The history of ADHD: ADHD over the years. Retrieved July 2, 2023 from https://adhduk.co.uk/the-history-of-adhd/
Martinez-Badia, J. & Martinez-Raga, J. (2015). Who says this is a modern disorder? The early history of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. World Journal of Psychiatry, 5(4), 379-386. https://doi.org/10.5498/wjp.v5.j4.379
National Autistic Society. (2019). The Autism Act, 10 years on. https://s4.chorus-mk.thirdlight.com/file/1573224908/61601577629/width=-1/height=-1/format=-1/fit=scale/t=443899/e=never/k=a402a7d4/nas_appga_report.pdf