USA psychology, 1970s vs today

@Graylight Well, both my kids were recently diagnosed ASD. The psychologist used accepted criteria in her diagnosis, and another of our kids' doctors agrees with the diagnosis. Based upon the definition of "autism" that I understood 20+ years ago - I doubt any teacher or non- clinical person interacting with my kids would notice anything different at all. I'm used to autistic kids being slow or very literal with language, hyper focused, unable to adapt to changes in routines, or having problems with social interaction. My kids have *some* issues with changes in routine, but I don't think it is much worse than other kids. My daughter likes things in certain orders, but it does not cause her much distress if they aren't. They do well in school, get along with other kids, and for the most part function the same as other kids their age.

The only exception is my 6-year old daughter does not like to go #2 and constipates herself and does not like the feel of toilet paper and wants to use wet wipes. Based upon that, my wife took the kids to the psychologist, and came out with an ASD diagnosis. The Psychologist remarked how this was not a bad thing because now the school district is required to accommodate and our insurance company is now required to cover certain therapies 100%. So I do think government mandates for insurance and schools may play a role here.

@trollslayer I feel it's just an easy and lazy diagnosis for the doctors and then they can prescribe drugs and get more money.

@JimboSaturn I had a psychiatrist for awhile who was very open with me. He was very blunt in saying that ADHD in kids was way over diagnosed and over medicated

@Gloomy I may be, and that is intentional. in the 90s and 2000s ADHD diagnoses seemed more prevalent, and now it seems the shift is toward ASD.

My question is at what rate of occurrence does one say something is either over diagnosed or the criteria are too broad? If it gets to where 1 in 25 has a particular psychological condition, is it really a condition anymore, or just a variation of the normal?

@trollslayer you are conflating the two.
I have ADHD inattentive variety, it differs markedly from autism. My best friend is on the spectrum. There are similarities, but there's also huge differences between us. I have horrible executive functioning, he is hyper-organized.

@LvChris There are loads of parents these days that want some sort of explanation for why their kids are difficult to parent, turning to external excuses rather than internal reflection.

@LvChris The "1 in 44" is from an article I read in a magazine likely while I was waiting for a dr appointment. I don't remember the article or the source, so I am very open to being wrong here.

As for me not wanting parents to get help? No, my motivation is the exact opposite. I worry that if ASD is being over diagnosed or the spectrum is too broad, the kids may be lumped into a generalization and not get the targeted help they need. I also worry of the negative affects if there is only a *perception* that it is over diagnosed, and parents not seeking help because of that perception. I will admit I have avoided going to a doctor because I know the Dr would just tell me I am stressed, have arthritis, or a "general infection". My wife is a teacher and she has a student who is clearly ASD, but the parents refuse to get help because of a negative perception of over diagnosing. Or maybe parents fear that if their child is diagnosed, they will be treated differently, even if the impairment is extremely minor. I also worry that if too many people that have little to no impairment are diagnosed ASD and given access to the same services as those with more severe cases, then it spreads resources away from kids who truly need them.

Add I am not saying this is a "big scam" or claiming doctors are in collusion with healh care providers and legislators in order to rake in the $$$. I am saying this could be a product of how we have our health care laws and medical practices organized that encourages an ASD diagnosis rather than dealing with impairments in other ways.