‘The term is becoming unrecognisable’: have the experts who believed in a single autism spectrum changed their minds?

There has been a steep rise in the number of people labelled autistic over the last 20 years. Is that down to greater understanding – or overdiagnosis?

‘The term is becoming unrecognisable’: have the experts who believed in a single autism spectrum changed their minds?

TL;DR

  • A steep rise in people labelled autistic has occurred in the last 20 years.
  • The increase raises questions about greater understanding versus overdiagnosis.
  • Experts who believed in a single autism spectrum are reportedly questioning their past views.