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According to BBC News, debate over how autism is defined has intensified as diagnoses recorded by GPs in England rose from just over 700,000 three years ago to around 1.1 million. Autism Spectrum Disorder is an umbrella diagnosis covering people with differing communication and behavioural characteristics and widely varying support needs.
Professor Dame Uta Frith, an 85-year-old figure in autism research, argues that the spectrum may have become too broad and says some people could have been misdiagnosed. She is particularly sceptical about some later diagnoses, mainly among women, and believes anxiety, depression or OCD may better explain some cases. She says diagnostic processes should become more precise and focus on individual needs, while stressing that people should not suffer if they have been misdiagnosed.
Her stance has drawn strong criticism from researchers, charities and autistic people. The National Autistic Society says people diagnosed with autism have been assessed against strict criteria and have lifelong differences in communication, behaviours and focused interests. Its head of clinical services, Dr Sue Smith, warned that changing labels could cause people to lose support. Dr Monique Botha of Durham University said autistic people can share key features, including sensory sensitivity, a need for predictability, intense interests and communication difficulties, without having identical lives or outcomes.
The argument also concerns whether people with intellectual disabilities are receiving enough attention. About a third of autistic people have intellectual disabilities, while a 2019 study found they represented about 6% of research participants. James Fitzpatrick, 34, does not speak, has a learning disability and needs constant care. His father, retired GP Dr Michael Fitzpatrick, questions whether the same diagnosis can adequately describe people with profoundly different needs. Dr Rachel Moseley of Bournemouth University agrees that people with learning disabilities are neglected, but says supporting them does not require rejecting the validity of other autistic people’s diagnoses.
The wider discussion comes as a government-commissioned independent review examines the rise in diagnoses of neurodivergent conditions, including autism and ADHD, as well as increased reporting of poor mental health. Research cited by the BBC found differing genetic profiles between people diagnosed in early childhood and those diagnosed later, though its lead researcher, Dr Varun Warrier, said this indicated autism was broadening genetically rather than proving misdiagnosis.
