Analysis: Autism Diagnosis Increase Linked to Weaker Diagnostic Standards, Not Actual Prevalence Rise

Summary

The article argues that the apparent increase in autism diagnoses is not due to an actual rise in autism prevalence, but rather results from progressively weaker diagnostic standards and expanded definitions of what qualifies as autism. It discusses how the autistic community has become larger, more diverse, and heterogeneous, creating a need for better methods to describe their varying needs. The article suggests that measures of adaptive functioning collected through public health surveillance could provide valuable population-level information about functioning and support requirements.