Increasing rates of autism in the US?

[Kai]

Ultimately, the problem with autistic spectrum disorders and many other, is that they simply describe the "symptoms". They don't actually diagnose the cause. And yet, these very shaky grounds are taken to write a manual which is treated in many circles as word of god.

So they're combining a whole bunch of different symptoms that were separate disorders under a single disorder. This re-categorization is about as physically relevant as changing Pluto to dwarf planet. It doesn't resolve the causes, it doesn't provide adequate treatment, it just switches the labels around. "OMG, we're going to combine PDD with AS, isn't that so much better? You get to be LABELED differently!"

It's all part of the process of trying to understand it better. It's not arbitrary; it's a process, and hopefully every time they make these revisions they've gained a tiny bit more understanding about what it is they're trying to deal with.

At least Freudian analysis is dying away. That man was about as scientific as Ken Hovinid.

[Placid Dingo]

This (cramming more stuff under the one umbrella) is possibly a good thing as far as schools are concerned. A lot of teachers hear ADD and have a very set idea of what that looks like. Whereas you hear ASD and the first thought is 'OK, WHERE are they on the spectrum'; you're insulated against snap judgements.