The worst part is that a lot of these “epidemic” sufferers are fakes. Not the kids, mind you, they don’t know any better, but the parents. There is a certain contingent that seems to decide that their children have some malady, just so that they can demand special treatment, I think. It seems to be a low level form of Munchausen by Proxy syndrome.
I had this feeling when the surge of ADD/Autism diagnoses hit, and it was confirmed by studies showing that diagnoses increased in areas where one child was diagnosed. The diseases aren’t contagious, so that means that someone (parents, or a doctor or teacher) was pushing for false diagnoses simply based on social exposure.
Recently, they have come to similar conclusions about the upsurge in food allergy diagnoses. Studies have shown that at least half of children whose parents claim they have food allergies actually have no food allergies when proper blind, controlled tests are performed.
It would be one thing for people who legitimately needed accommodation to be a bit unreasonable in demanding it, but when we’ve been catering to many who only have an imaginary need, it is infuriating.
Exactly! Every time a kid has any medical or behavioral issue, some “expert” wants to turn it into a disease. Parents are all too willing to go along. Then they come up with silly reasons as to the cause (vaccines, dyes in food, etc.) and get hoodwinked by some quack alternative practitioner who has an equally silly (sometimes dangerous) treatment.
Yet another reason why health insurance is so expensive. People lobby state legislators to force insurance companies to cover their pet condition and a whole host of perpetual treatments.