A clinical neuropsychologist argues that treating normal developmental challenges as medical disorders often harms children more than it helps. The expert contends that society's obsession with metrics and the push for diagnostic labels frequently pathologizes healthy behavior, undermining a child's ability to cope with difficulty.
In a composite case study, a tenth-grade student named Zach sought accommodations despite scoring 34 on practice ACT tests, a score that places him in the top percentile nationally. Although a perfect score is 36, Zach viewed his performance as a failure because he aimed for the University of Pennsylvania. The neuropsychologist notes that when excellence becomes the minimum acceptable standard, individuals feel they are constantly falling short, leading them to seek labels and services to close perceived gaps.
The argument suggests that while real disabilities exist and require support, many struggles are healthy parts of development that backfire when medicalized. Parents often interpret average scores negatively, such as viewing the 37th percentile as a cause for concern rather than a solidly average result. The expert emphasizes that in most domains, including attention and anxiety, a middle range is optimal rather than an extreme high or low.
Measurements are described as imperfect snapshots in time that do not account for measurement error or the fact that perseverance, creativity, and people skills are better predictors of success than test scores. The pressure to diagnose creates a squeeze from both ends: struggling children are looked at for disorders, while excelling children are scrutinized for perfectionism or anxiety.
Interventions carry an opportunity cost, as time and money spent on therapy are diverted from activities like sports, playdates, or homework that might provide joy and build resilience. The neuropsychologist warns that accommodations can inadvertently worsen mental health by fostering helplessness and an external locus of control. By locating problems in the brain or relying on paid accommodations to avoid hard tasks, children miss the opportunity to learn how to cope, which can increase anxiety over time.
The article attributes this trend to a culture of "mom guilt" and an influencer economy that profits from feelings of inadequacy. In this context, a diagnosis offers parents a clear fix and partial absolution. The proposed alternative is to reframe average performance as good, broaden the definition of success, and give children real control over their efforts. Parents are urged to support children through difficult tasks rather than removing obstacles, trusting their instincts to distinguish between genuine problems and temporary developmental blips.