Lucy Johnston

Dave Clements warns that schools and parents increasingly rely on ADHD and autism diagnoses to access support, turning medical labels into a form of currency within an overstretched education system. Rising numbers of Education, Health and Care Plans coincide with more exclusions and suspensions among children with complex needs, while broader social and environmental pressures are often misinterpreted as medical conditions. Clements argues that support should be based on underlying causes rather than diagnostic labels and criticises the expanding influence of the neurodiversity movement. He calls for addressing systemic issues affecting childhood rather than relying on medicalisation to explain behavioural and learning challenges.