I have expressed my view that the supposed increase in autism prevalence is almost exclusively, if not exclusively, due to diagnostic criteria changes and more screening against those criteria. The author of this post essentially agrees with that, and expands upon some of the history and reasoning. As I have noted, he points out the financial benefits to various therapists who make a lot of money by labeling kids as autistic. These same therapists are the ones who control the diagnostic criteria. Having your child labeled as on the spectrum provides them all kinds of special treatment in schools, which parents welcome. I would also note the rejection of the notion that it has anything to do with vaccines or other nonsense promoted by RFK, Jr. and his trial lawyer allies. There is zero, absolutely zero, credible research to support this gibberish. The author attempts to be very balanced, which is commendable, but there is no reason to in any manner pretend that the nuts advancing absurd claims are anything other than nuts. (Substack Post)
