Rush to diagnose ADHD and autism can damage children: As rates soar up to 40-fold, a major review warns of the toll on those wrongly given a label

Britain risks harming a generation of children by over-diagnosing ADHD and autism, a major review warns today.

Parents are incentivised to have their children diagnosed by misguided schools and welfare systems that reward such 'labels', the report found.

Youngsters have also been influenced by social media posts that wrongly present common traits as evidence of the conditions.

There were warnings last night that children could be defined by such characterisations, steering them towards a life of benefits and unemployment. 

Autism diagnosis rates have soared by up to 40-fold in recent years, but the Government-commissioned review found no evidence that the number of autistic children has actually increased.

Clinical psychologist Professor Peter Fonagy raised concerns about the 'consistency and quality' of ADHD and autism assessments carried out by private providers, whose numbers have rocketed as the NHS struggles to cope with demand.

Private firms now conduct more than half of NHS-funded ADHD assessments and a third of autism ones, but they are poorly regulated and are allowed to advertise their services directly to potential customers, with the NHS often picking up the ballooning bill.

Britain risks harming a generation of children by over-diagnosing ADHD and autism, a major review warns today (stock photo) 

Last month, a survey of GPs said many had never known a private provider to reject a diagnosis request.

Professor Fonagy calls misdiagnosis and overdiagnosis 'harmful' because they may lead to unnecessary or inappropriate treatment, delay appropriate support for other issues and lower expectations of what children can achieve.

His report notes that children diagnosed with ADHD before 17 are around four times less likely to be in education, employment or training in early adulthood, with each youngster in this situation costing taxpayers £244,000 over their lifetime.

Tory work and pensions spokesman Helen Whately said: 'Too many people are defined by their diagnosis, not by what they can achieve – and it's starting younger.

'Children are told something is 'wrong' with them, put on disability living allowance then move straight on to personal independence payments. All they ever hear is what they can't do.

'Sickness benefit claims have doubled since 2019, but the country isn't twice as sick. Many of the conditions are real – but they are not reasons to not work.

'Parking people on benefits isn't kind or compassionate.'

Professor Sir Simon Wessely, vice-chairman of the review, warned a diagnosis could 'close doors' and 'define you by your difficulties – not your strengths, circumstances, and potentials'.

Professor Fonagy concludes that the current model of care fails patients and requires 'radical reform'.

Pictured: Tory work and pensions spokeswoman Helen Whately

Children with the most serious mental health issues face unacceptably long waits for care, he said, because the 'first come, first served' system is overwhelmed by soaring demand for ADHD and autism assessment.

The report calls for Britain to move from a 'diagnosis-dependent' system to one based on an individual's needs so children can receive practical help and extra support at school while assessment continues rather than waiting for a diagnosis first.

It says private providers should be registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and banned from advertising to the public.

The review says the rise in autism and ADHD diagnoses cannot be explained by once overlooked children coming forward for assessments.

It warns: 'If present trends continue, we are clearly entering a phase in which the balance of risks is changing from... concerns with under-recognition and underdiagnosis towards an increased risk of misdiagnosis and overdiagnosis, which are becoming increasingly important considerations for policy and service delivery.'

Recorded autism prevalence among those aged six to 11 has risen more than 20-fold, from 0.24 per cent in 2000 to 4.58 per cent in 2025. For those aged 12 to 17 it has risen more than 40-fold, from 0.10 per cent to 4.06 per cent.

However, the best available estimate for autism among young people remains at around 1.2 per cent.

For autism, the review says the increase is likely due to 'changes in recognition, recording, diagnostic concepts, help-seeking and access rather than a clear increase in underlying population prevalence'.

Monthly referrals for ADHD assessments have more than tripled, from around 5,000 in 2019 to around 17,000 in 2024.

By the end of 2025, open referrals exceeded 560,000, more than 17 times the number recorded in 2019.

There is no biological test to establish whether someone has ADHD or autism. Instead, a diagnosis is based on an assessment of the person's difficulties, developmental history and degree of functional impairment.

Professor Fonagy believes young people are growing up under intense pressure, adding: 'Life has become harder since I was a young man.

'The cacophony of voices now available to a young person – most of them digital, many of them confident, few of them accountable – has made the ordinary developmental process of understanding oneself far harder than it was for me. Young people... are not fragile. They are outnumbered.'

Health Secretary Yvette Cooper pledged last night to strengthen the oversight of mental health services.

She said: 'We will... make all diagnostic assessments for ADHD and autism CQC-regulated so people can be confident that assessments are high quality and the NHS is not being overcharged by private providers.'