Many speculated that the diagnosis rates for autism would increase when DSM 5 came out.
It would be safe to assume that a large portion of the 60% the author refers to would be attributed to a simple change in the paperwork.
One of the biggest changes was that Aspergers was folded into the autism spectrum. The reason The reason for this wasn’t medical, more political. If your child was diagnosed with Aspergers then they didn’t qualify for services so a very high functioning child that could have significantly benefited from early intervention and gone on to become a tax paying citizen was left swinging in the wind. The reason we call it a political decision was that there wasn’t enough political will on capital hill to change the law to include these kids under the IDEA act. Therefore the medical community broadened their definition so that meaningful help could be given to these kids. What are your thoughts?
Most of Increase in Autism Due to Changes in Diagnosing and Reporting – Mad In America
About 60% of the increase in the prevalence of autism spectrum disorders has been caused by broader diagnostic criteria and new reporting practices, according to a Danish study published in JAMA Pediatrics. Although the study was of Danish children, some of the findings would apply in the United States as well, a researcher not involved in the study told LiveScience.
“The percentage of children with autism worldwide has increased in recent years, but it’s not clear whether this rise is due mainly to changes in how doctors diagnose autism and report cases, or if there is some factor in children’s environment that is affecting autism rates,” reported LiveScience.
Read more at: https://www.madinamerica.com/2014/11/increase-autism-rates-due-changes-diagnosing-reporting/