Autism Diagnoses Rise Among U.S. Children, CDC Finds

[nonoyes]

12. The diagnostic criteria has widened to include

"Autism Spectrum disorders", a very large majority of people diagnosed fall into this category.

In 1980, in many parts of the country, children with a diagnosis of Autism were not in public schools AT ALL. Many were still in institutions, or uncounted, or, in some cases, died at a very early age of self-abusive behaviors.

those that are really severe aren't
in a classroom.

I don't know where you live, but in my state, yes, every child with a disability is entitled to a public education, and yes, we even have "classrooms for one" or "public education"' delivered to homes in very severe cases. Nonetheless, I have worked with public and special eduation schools with more than one genuinely autistic child, indeed several children in one classroom, having some special services in that classroom, and being mainstreamed with kids of normal abilities when possible for other activities, (art, music, mealtimes, or phys ed).

A large part of the upswing in children diagnosed has to do with autism spectrum disorders, a category not even specifically defined in in most public schools in 1980.

Children with autism spectrum disorders today often complete high school and many actually go on to higher educational settings.