Autism is fairly new. It wasn’t really understood a few years ago. It still isn’t really understood. ADD and ADHD are completely different. I’m not saying Savage doesn’t have a point. I’m just saying ADD and ADHD are much better examples of this over-diagnosis.
What is new is the lowered age of prescribe for drugs like Prozac. With existing drugs flatlining in sales, the new market opportunities come with treating the symptoms of Autism in specific categories with drugs such as this. Follow the money, and the new SSI opportunities for parents and funding for schools. The age now is 7 where it can be prescribed. Also, look at Haldol and Valium. Autism is not old, it is the new fashionable badge that used to be ADD and ADHD. Ritalin has gotten a bad name and you should check the CDC because they can’t even answer the question as to the exponential increase in diagnosis. I bet one could correlate the increase in Autism to a decrease in ADD and ADHD.