[TomB]

It would help if he would actually state a thesis for his article and stick to it. But it's clear enough that he's saying there is no autism epidemic.

Uh, his "thesis" is that there is no autism epidemic. I don't think he could have been more clear about that. He then goes on to discuss the possible reasons the diagnoses have increased.

I don't see any reason why the average person should be confused.

[George W. Bush]

I think the article is more confusing than the DSM guidelines for diagnosing autism and ADHD, a pretty elastic standard.

But if autism and ADHD are increased by increasing funding, as the author seems to suggest, then decreasing funding and services should make it disappear.

You know, I have a long history of being a conservative education activist but there really are some problems with fomenting such a view on the public as an adequate explanation.

I would certainly agree with many of these premises being applied to ESL or ADHD or general increases in special ed funding. But I do think we have seen a real increase in severe developmental disabilities in children as well. And I don't believe that somehow pretending it's merely parents and doctors soaking up available funding for kids with temporary problems is an adequate answer.