Autism Diagnosis Is Expanding — At a Cost

Autism may be overdiagnosed — and, Liao and Fombonne argue, that children with the greatest needs may be paying the price.

By
Kerri Miller
April 23, 2026
2 min

Conexiant

Objective:

To discuss the implications of rising autism prevalence, including the nuances of overdiagnosis and its impact on resource allocation.

Approach:

Key Findings:

Close to half of children diagnosed with autism in the community did not meet criteria upon reevaluation, highlighting issues in diagnostic accuracy.
The prevalence of concurrent intellectual disability in autism has decreased from 70% to 30% over four decades, indicating a shift in diagnostic criteria and who receives the diagnosis.
Overdiagnosis may divert resources from children with significant challenges to those with milder presentations, exacerbating disparities in access to care.

Interpretation:

The widening boundaries of autism diagnosis may lead to resource allocation issues, favoring families better able to navigate the system and potentially neglecting those with more severe needs.

Limitations:

The study does not address the motivations behind clinicians stretching diagnoses, which may be influenced by systemic pressures.
Potential biases in the evaluation process and the impact of socioeconomic factors on diagnosis and resource access are not fully explored.