Not a week goes by, it seems, without a celebrity self-diagnosing with autism or hyperkinetic syndrome, also known as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder [ADHD].

And as figures released this week by the Department of Work and Pensions show, it’s not only celebrities. The number of under-18s eligible for disability benefits because of ‘behavioural disorder’ diagnoses has rocketed by almost 40 per cent in the past five years – an increase of 182,000 to almost three-quarters of a million children.

These conditions, which are not mental illnesses but can profoundly affect mood and behaviour, have become catch-all terms, often used as explanations for why people might feel ‘different’ or ‘special’.

And a diagnosis can come with very significant financial benefits, with educational grants for private schooling or classroom assistance, as well as the Disability Living Allowance [DLA], which can amount to anything between £28.70 and £184.30 a week. In the average classroom of 30 pupils, two are now on DLA.

I want to make it plain that in many cases, these behavioural disorders are real. They cause immense problems for the children and their families and dealing with them is exhausting.

Not a week goes by, it seems, without a celebrity self-diagnosing with autism or hyperkinetic syndrome (stock picture)

The number of under-18s eligible for disability benefits because of ‘behavioural disorder’ diagnoses has rocketed by almost 40 per cent in the past five years (stock picture)

But no healthcare professional has come up with a convincing explanation of why instances have risen so dramatically in the past 30 years – in the mid-1990s, autism in particular was extremely rare and now it is widespread.

But as genuine cases of autism and ADHD have surged, I fear so too has the number of people who hitch a ride on the bandwagon. It makes me cross to see TV presenters, reality stars and pop singers who seem to be treating this as a fad to win sympathy and attention. Their neediness distracts from the real needs of others and fuels the vacuous fashion for self-diagnosis.

Their behaviour encourages fans to copy them and seek excuses for the problems of adolescent life rather than solutions to its many challenges. When school work is going badly or arguments with friends and family arise, it’s become too easy to blame ‘my autism’ or ‘my ADHD’ instead of working to find real answers.

Many GPs also see a constant trickle of teenagers pleading for prescriptions of Ritalin, the standard treatment for ADHD: like a mild amphetamine, it gives a pleasant buzz while making the patient feel wide awake and focused, as if they’d just had a super-shot of caffeine.

As a result, it is frequently abused by professionals, students and athletes to increase productivity.

Even worse than the risks posed by Ritalin abuse, however, are the lifelong dangers posed by an early reliance on benefits. Multiple studies show that people who receive disability benefits as children are more likely to rely on handouts in adult life. They are locked into a life of low prospects, labelled as incapable from the start and never learning self-reliance.

No healthcare professional has come up with a convincing explanation of why instances have risen so dramatically in the past 30 years (stock picture)

The increasing burden on the Treasury is disastrous.

The annual cost to the taxpayer of health and disability payments to people of all ages is more than £100billion. And that total will rise steeply over the next five years or so. It is estimated that by 2029, there will be 948,000 children on DLA – about one child in 14 – more than double the number before the pandemic.

This is hardly surprising given that most GPs are no better versed in the symptoms of autism and ADHD than anybody else: the conditions were so uncommon a quarter of a century ago that they barely featured on the medical school curriculums.

And so when parents come into their surgeries seeking a diagnosis, it’s difficult for family doctors to tell apart the parents who are desperate for help, and those who want, for one reason or another, to exploit the benefits.

And even if a GP refuses to oblige with a diagnosis, there are plenty of psychiatrists for hire online who will provide one over the internet.