I think about this a lot. I think my own DD could benefit from some help (although she is functioning perfectly well in school and probably the school services aren't quite right, but ignore that for now). I still am not sure what, if any dx is really right for her, though. I believe part of the issue is overdiagnosis in the name of getting kids services. It's quite understandable, but what are the other consequences? What if we provided more services on an as-needed basis?
So many of the social and practical life skills that were once taught in elementary school are now pushed out because of the focus on developmentally inappropriate academics. (I know that sounds ironic on this forum!) Many schools no longer give kids enough opportunities to develop these skills in a structured environment. For example, there isn't enough time to play with Play-doh, string beads, or learn to tie laces. There isn't enough time to play board games, work on
fun group projects, or play house/blocks with others. There isn't enough time to learn to skip rope, dig a hole, or roller skate.
I'd like to see a study of elementary children that compared fine motor skills, social skills, and gross motor skills to those of kids from the 1970s. My suspicion is that these skills would be lower overall. What a difference that would make for the kids to the left of the curve for these skills!
Obviously there are kids that do need special services, but MANY kids could benefit from more school time spent on practical life and social skills.
