Labelling Children

I think if we all sat around a table facing each other bringing our own perspectives, it would be far easier to communicate. It's very hard to discuss such a sensitive and difficult topic without face to face contact. Everyone has a valid point, just different ways of seeing things.

Sorry, jobs.

My grandson is pleased to have the label as it explains why he is different from his friends. He hasn't known he has autism until last term. At 14, he is relieved to know he is not just naughty. If you listen to someone who wants to learn asking why his brain doesn't work properly, you might understand better.
Children with quirks, stillalive, turn/ed into grownups with the same quirks. They are slightly more than quirks, and it's those quirks that stop the majority of them getting jobe in real life.

F77ms, you've got it.

The op is suggesting that too many children are labelled with ASD/ autism who may only have behavioural problems . The huge rise in these diagnosis` does make one think maybe that is the case . You only have to read the responses to the op to see how many children have been diagnosed just on a forum like this one . It maybe ` a relief` and `helpful` to families but not necessarily the child who is then stuck with that label .

So children who have specific conditions which benefit from additional support shouldn't be 'labelled'?? For Gods sake I thought this sort of antiquated thinking had been left behind decades ago. I really am appalled! Actually I'm angry to read such stuff on GN.

I think Lisalou has been a poster on gransnet for a while, so probably no need to doubt her?

I can only go from second hand experience, and say that, and perhaps it varies geographically, here it seems to be difficult or very difficult to get a "label".

Postcode lottery perhaps?

overdiagnosis in some places and under in others?

Bluebelle, how do you know I haven't had any first hand experience? I think the OP is spot on. She's doing the job and seeing the problem firsthand.

Until you have a child or grandchild with a ' need' or a reason for their behaviour you will not understand
The original poster sounds very out of touch with children if they really are a teacher they must be stuck in a time warp
As for labels, wasn't 'lazy' 'naughty' 'inattentive' 'fidgety' ' disruptive' or in Stillkicking words 'just rude' dreadful labels to have at least by naming something you have an understanding of 'why'

Case in point, my sisters little boy had learning problems which were missed mostly because teachers had several very disruptive, badly behaved children in the same class at the time. These children took all the effort and energy from the teacher. Six months down the line, my nephew was diagnosed with a brain tumour.
So I think when a teacher or professional starts to ask.....which children really have a problem, where's the funding going, are the labels working, they are asking the right questions to better target the problem.

Going away from this, I personally feel labels are wrong because of my own experience which hopefully I've turned into a positive thing.

Durhamjen, I understand your views and the pain it causes parents. But I think those experts and professionals who are now asking......is it right to negatively label a child? As in.....are we making them believe they are different and therefore giving them a false view of themselves as in my case when I was labelled dyslexic?

I personally think those asking questions now are trying to bring in better solutions plus make better diagnoses from a badly behaved child to a child that has genuine problems.

Children with their own quirks totally function in the outside world and to stigmatise them as "autistic" is a very dangerous thing which harms them more than helps.

Are kids with autism just badly behaved, then, stillalive?

Written by someone who makes money out of the kids, nina?
ASD isn't something they grow out of, as Jane10 explains.

When my grandson was at a childminders when he was two years old, my husband and I were regularly phoned up to pick him up as he was upsetting the babies. We later found out that it was the other way round, the babies crying made him upset, so he cried louder than the babies.
This childminder won awards for special needs!

Most of the kids are just rude and made so by their upbringing. A label sticks and I would be very very cautious of giving a child one instead of addressing bad behaviour.

Durhamjen, it explains why they label children from their point of view.

This link has another perspective.

thekidcounselor.com/2008/01/the-problem-with-labeling-children/

I would have thought that a teacher with a very disruptive pupil in the class would be glad if that child was diagnosed as having ADHD or some other condition because that teacher would then probably be given extra help ie a teaching assistant who would spend time with that child and relieve the teacher.

www.educationandbehavior.com/how-to-help-students-with-autism/

This site doesn't mind labelling children, nina.

Some conditions were not recognised years ago and children labelled as naughty, lazy, inattentive etc. It is not so long ago children who were left-handed were made to write with the right hand which could cause problems such as a stammer etc.

'Labelling' a child may attract extra funding - but the funding would be spend on extra help at school anyway.

Grannypiper, weren't the social services filling up the coffers by blocking fostering? Isn't that why David Cameron changed the system?

Everyone has different levels of learning. Sister was a teacher and said the same thing. DS wasn't great at certain things and they tried to tell me he may be dyslexic, I wasn't having any of it. You work to their strengths and find ways round others. DS is now studying Math at uni. Too many parents wrap their kids up in cotton wool these days and try to put a label on things to help them cope. I also work in the child industry and look after so many brats (made so by lazy or coddling parents) it's ridiculous.

Grannypiper, I taught special needs for a few years, so I do have experience - and a grandson with ASD who I am teaching at homeschool because he could not cope in a secondary school, with too many staff who did not understand his needs.

Grannypiper, I think Lisalou has raised a tricky but very relevant question. It's hard to watch a child you love have problems but labelling them can have many disadvantages. It's easy for the experts to jump up and down in 'how very dare you even ask that question'. But their knowledge and experience is only as good as the system that taught them. Sometimes rocking the boat and asking awkward questions is a good thing because it gets people to think outside the box. We all rest easy on our laurels when get the 'aha! finally, a diagnosis. Now I know what it is'. But what if the diagnosis isn't the problem, what if it's only a solution for the system and a way to contain such children?
I was diagnosed as dyslexic at school and made to feel a failure. Today I'm a published book author plus I run a business. The diagnosis was clearly wrong.
And so today, a few of the experts and teachers are querying these labels we give our children and I think this is a good thing. Here are a couple of links that might make useful reading.

www.blog.montessoriforeveryone.com/is-labeling-kids-a-mistake.html

www.educationandbehavior.com/how-do-labels-affect-students/

I totally get what you're saying. Everything has to have a label these days, it's ridiculous. Then everyone becomes extremely offended at the mere mention of what you have just stated. Again, ridiculous PC crap.

I agree with you Lisalou. I have years of personal, heartwrenching experience on lots of levels.

roses, my oldest grandson was diagnosed at 7. The diagnosis could have come earlier but his mum, for very understandable reasons at that time, didn't want to take him to cahms, as school had suggested. She feared he'd be labelled because of some difficulties in his early years. The diagnosis was a huge help to him and to his parents, as well as to the wider family. He was 'no trouble' at home with all of us but he could not cope with school and was described as disruptive. The diagnosis helped in so many ways. I have personal and professional experience of the positives that can come with proper assessment, diagnosis and the support that follows that. To claim that HT's are pushing for children to be labelled, so they can 'line the coffers', well, I'd be speechless if I wasn't so cross.