Testing demand is rising
Families are increasingly turning to formal testing for ADHD, autism and AuDHD to get clarity and validation after years of unexplained struggles, and schools are also reading guides about spotting undiagnosed students. The trend shows parents want explanation and practical next steps, not just labels, which is driving wider help-seeking outside traditional pathways. (ibtimes.com) (huffingtonpost.co.uk)
A lot of parents are no longer starting with “my child is lazy” or “my child is shy.” They’re starting with “something has been off for years,” and they’re seeking formal assessments for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism, or both at once. (ibtimes.com) That “both at once” piece matters because many families now use the term “AuDHD” for someone who is autistic and also has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The overlap can blur the picture, so one child can look organized in one setting and overwhelmed in another. (ibtimes.com) Schools are part of this shift too. A recent guide highlighted signs that can be missed in class, including avoiding certain lessons, struggling to start work, and having outsized emotional reactions after holding it together all day. (huffingtonpost.co.uk) That is a big change from the old stereotype of the child who cannot sit still and disrupts the room. The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says 7 million U.S. children ages 3 to 17, or 11.4%, had ever been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in 2022, and boys were diagnosed more often than girls. (cdc.gov) Autism is being identified more often too. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says about 1 in 31 U.S. 8-year-olds were identified with autism spectrum disorder, up from 1 in 36 in the previous report. (cdc.gov) The rise in help-seeking does not just reflect awareness campaigns or social media vocabulary. Parents in these stories describe years of homework battles, sensory overload, shutdowns, and self-esteem problems before they ever got a name for what was happening. (ibtimes.com) (huffingtonpost.co.uk) Formal testing is often less about getting a label than getting a map. A diagnosis can unlock school accommodations, specialist referrals, medication reviews for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and practical changes at home like shorter instructions, sensory supports, or different homework routines. (nice.org.uk 1) (nice.org.uk 2) (nice.org.uk 3) The pressure on services shows how many families are now trying to get that map. NHS England’s latest autism waiting-time release says England recorded 236,225 people waiting for an autism assessment as of June 2025, with 89% waiting longer than the 13-week target. (gov.uk) (autism.org.uk) Members of Parliament in the United Kingdom said the backlog goes beyond autism alone. A Health and Social Care Committee letter cited March 2025 figures showing 137,977 children waiting for an autism assessment in children’s mental health services and up to 316,000 children waiting for an attention deficit hyperactivity disorder assessment. (committees.parliament.uk) So the story is not just that more people want testing. It is that families are using testing as a way to replace years of vague blame with a concrete explanation, while schools and health systems are being pushed to catch up with children who were always there but were not always recognized. (ibtimes.com) (huffingtonpost.co.uk)
