There are concerns that the increase in autism diagnoses is because something is causing more children to be affected by the condition. Is this accurate? Cha

There are concerns that the increase in autism diagnoses is because something is causing more children to be affected by the condition. Is this accurate? Changes in the diagnostic criteria and increased screening at wellness visits seem to be the main contributors. There have been a few studies over the past two years that have looked at a specific subgroup of individuals on the spectrum who frequently need 24-hour-a-day support and care from a caregiver, often have very limited verbal communication skills, or have intellectual disability that co-occurs with autism. The data has shown that rates of autism for that subgroup have increased minimally, if at all, over the past nearly 10 years. ~ Is There an Autism Epidemic?, John Hopkins, Bloomberg School of Public Health: https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2025/is-there-an-autism-epidemic https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2025/is-there-an-autism-epidemi... Autism diagnoses are on the rise – but autism itself may not be Autism is better known and diagnosed than ever before, leading to misconceptions that cases are skyrocketing. ~ BBC, 10th May, 2025: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20250509-why-autism-diagnoses-are-on-the-rise https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20250509-why-autism-diagn...