Is there really an epidemic increase in Asperger cases and other forms of autism?
This question is complex. Although Asperger Syndrome was first written about in the 1940s, it did not gain widespread recognition until the mid 1990’s. Since then, diagnoses of AS have been on the rise. However, as of 2008, not enough data exists to reliably determine whether the incidence of AS itself is increasing, or a diagnosis of Asperger’s is being given to people who were formerly left undiagnosed or misdiagnosed with psychiatric, behavioral or emotional problems.
