This is everything that is wrong with the UK

treliac

PrivatisetheNHSnow wrote: »

people only have 'issues' because too many people have it too good and have time to indulge themselves in every hint of worry, every hint of frustration etc.

if you're a manual labourer in asia working 10 hours a day, you don't have time for 'issues'.

This is true. It's called 'Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs'.

Cleaver

Snooze wrote: »

I've just been noseying in the benefits forum and then read this thread and something struck me. Are we becoming a nation of inbreds in this country or is it just my imagination? It doesn't seem to matter what site you go on; if they've got a forum it won't be long til you find a thread about kids and 90% of the posts will be from people talking about the huge raft of disabilities their offspring have got.

I used to spend my summers as a student working for the Council on a daycare / activity centre for kids aged 5 to 11. On the final year I did it (2002/03 I think) I had 60 kids registered on my site. They obviously all have to fill in forms stating whether they had allergies, disabilities, medicines, conditions or anything else we needed to know of. One day we did a count and 32 out of the 60 children were classed as having ADD / ADHA, dyslexia or dyspaxia. A handful of them had doctors notes for this, but many were just 'self-diagnosed' by their partents.

Like you Snooze, I don't want to get in to the area of pointing figures or somehow doubting or underestimating the issues that families face who have children with genuine issues. It must be very hard. But that can't be helped by a lot of parents diagnosing their own children as ADD when actually they just need a bit of discipline at home.

sjaypink

treliac wrote: »

This is true. It's called 'Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs'.

? Don't think Maslow specified 'issues' as necessary for self actualisation, IME though it seems to be a common feature of the journey

carolt

I knew you were clever, sjay. :cool2:

Re the apparently larger number of disabled children, now, much as I hate to ever agree with chucky (particularly after last night) I think he's right, that diagnosis has improved. And it is to be applauded that kids with dyslexia, say, aren't just labelled thickies and thrown on the dust heap.

But another major reason for the difference that no-one appears to have mentioned is that when we were kids we had no disabled kids in our school because they were all at special schools. All the people with mental problems were locked away in hospitals.

The policy of care in the community and of integrating most kids into 'normal' schols means suddenly we're all mixing with disabled/'problem' kids these days (and adults). It means that whilst schools in my day could teach 30 kids with 1 teacher, now they all need teaching assistants to deal with all the kids with special needs.

Is that better or worse? I'm not really sure. I can see lots of plus points; some downsides too.

sjaypink

everything thats wrong with the UK?

everyones a therapist

Malcolm.

sjaypink wrote: »

everyones a therapist

So true, I'm always 'having' women on my couch!

treliac

sjaypink wrote: »

everything thats wrong with the UK?

everyones a therapist

I was going to say 'everyone wants one' but then I saw Malcolm's post and....... I was stopped mid-thought.

Mmmm, he must have a big couch!

Eton_Rifle

carolt wrote: »

And it is to be applauded that kids with dyslexia, say, aren't just labelled thickies and thrown on the dust heap.

Absolutely but I wonder if it has made a difference?

Today, how old are the first children to be diagnosed with one of these syndromes beginning with A? (Forgive my shorthand!) Has their diagnosis and treatment made a difference to their lives or are they unemployable and forced to claim benefits just as previously generations of undiagnosed/naughty children are?

I'm hoping these labels and treatments have helped the children but I do have a real fear that for many it's set them on a path to a self-limited life.

wymondham

Can I just add this item to 'whats wrong with britain' - mixed up values:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1266069/Now-single-mother-sort-childcare-demands-1-1m--seven-times-Army-offered-hero-lost-legs.html

ninky_2

carolt wrote: »

I knew you were clever, sjay. :cool2:

Re the apparently larger number of disabled children, now, much as I hate to ever agree with chucky (particularly after last night) I think he's right, that diagnosis has improved. And it is to be applauded that kids with dyslexia, say, aren't just labelled thickies and thrown on the dust heap.

But another major reason for the difference that no-one appears to have mentioned is that when we were kids we had no disabled kids in our school because they were all at special schools. All the people with mental problems were locked away in hospitals.

The policy of care in the community and of integrating most kids into 'normal' schols means suddenly we're all mixing with disabled/'problem' kids these days (and adults). It means that whilst schools in my day could teach 30 kids with 1 teacher, now they all need teaching assistants to deal with all the kids with special needs.

Is that better or worse? I'm not really sure. I can see lots of plus points; some downsides too.

we had special needs kids at the schools i went to. not major physical disabilities. but we had a deaf kid (he could hear slightly with the aid of a special hearing aid) and we had educational special needs kids. they came to some of the same lessons but also had separate lessons.

i went to a state comprehensive. don't know if that made a difference.