Pushy Parents Are To Blame For Increase In Special Needs Misdiagnosis, Teacher Survey Reveals

Pushy parents are becoming more competitive. Some moms and dads are reportedly demanding their children be diagnosed as students with special needs in order to gain more edge in exams and school work.

A survey conducted by YouGov among 800 teachers in the U.K. has revealed there is a misdiagnosis among students with special needs. At least 57 percent of teachers said the reality is fewer students have actual learning disorders or require special education needs (SEN).

Some 64 percent of teachers said students with learning problems can best improve with the proper guidance. They don't require further medical or psychological tests, as in cases of real students with special needs.

Educators, however, have been pressured to tag the kids as such because of pushy parents, per Independent. In fact, 72 percent of families hope their children are labeled as special needs even with little medical evidence, while 39 percent of parents actually demand their children be categorized and eligible for SEN.

So, what has driven pushy parents to make these demands? Lorraine Petersen of the National Association of Special Educational Needs said one factor might be because children under SEN receive 25 percent extra time in completing exams or homework. SEN also allows more breaks and access to the students and competitive parents want to take advantage of this.

"Parents think people will be a lot less judgmental of a child's behavior - and their parenting skills - if they know the child has a label," Petersen said in describing another potential factor, per Daily Mail. "They don't want to think they've done something wrong."

Children diagnosed with special needs also favor low-income parents. They can avail of tax breaks, better medical care plans and other benefits because of this. Over one million kids in the U.K. are under SEN for various learning conditions like dyslexia, ADHD, ADD or autism.