More and more people are being diagnosed with ADHD and autism, among other things due to increased knowledge. In order to give these people better conditions and a higher quality of life, society as a whole needs to become more inclusive, writes the National Council for Health and Social Care about its new guidelines for ADHD and autism. Among the total of thirteen new recommendations, the importance of carefully carrying out neuropsychological investigations and being open to many possible diagnoses or causes of problems is evident, among other things.

– Inadequate investigations may lead to misdirected efforts and taking resources away from those who need them most, and this is very clear in the guidelines, says Evelyn Anderson, who led the work on the guidelines, In a press release.

As before, the National Board of Health and Social Care emphasizes individual diagnosis and early interventions for both children and adults, often before neuropsychological examination, to avoid people ending up with other problems such as depression or self-harming behaviour.

The National Board of Health and Social Care is also calling for people with complex needs to be highlighted.

– People with autism and challenging behaviour, for example, must be given priority, otherwise they will experience very significant disabilities. One important intervention for these groups is positive behavior support (PBS), which now has the highest priority in the guidelines. Evelyn Anderson says it's about reinforcing what works despite everything and thus reducing challenging behaviour.

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