Three Reasons Not to Believe in an Autism Epidemic

This publication is included in the Autistic Autism Scholarship Project. one author of this publication is identified as autistic in the project.

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Gernsbacher, M. A., Dawson, M., & Goldsmith, H. H. (2005). Three Reasons Not to Believe in an Autism Epidemic. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 14(2), 55-58. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0963-7214.2005.00334.x

Publication date: 1 Apr 2005 Added to AutiHub: 3 Jul 2026 Type: Article Article language: English
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Authors

Publication authors
3
Publication authors identified as autistic
1 / 3 (33.3%)
  1. Morton Ann Gernsbacher
  2. Michelle Dawson *
  3. H. Hill Goldsmith

Abstract

According to some lay groups, the nation is experiencing an autism epidemic-a rapid escalation in the prevalence of autism for unknown reasons. However, no sound scientific evidence indicates that the increasing number of diagnosed cases of autism arises from anything other than purposely broadened diagnostic criteria, coupled with deliberately greater public awareness and intentionally improved case finding. Why is the public perception so disconnected from the scientific evidence? In this article we review three primary sources of misunderstanding: lack of awareness about the changing diagnostic criteria, uncritical acceptance of a conclusion illogically drawn in a California-based study, and inattention to a crucial feature of the "child count" data reported annually by the U.S. Department of Education.

Bibliography cited by this reference

Cited references are imported from external metadata sources when they are available. The list may be partial.

Cited bibliography overview

These indicators describe the bibliography cited by this publication. An author name is counted each time it appears in one cited reference, so the same person can be counted more than once. Names not yet linked to an author already present in AutiHub are treated as unknown, not as non-autistic. Last computed: 2 Oct 2026 07:56.

Cited references
31
With a DOI
16
Without a DOI, from raw bibliography text
11
0 / 31 (0.0%) cited references include at least one author identified as autistic.
References with data to complete
3 / 31 (9.7%)
References with detected author names
29 / 31 (93.5%)
Without detected author names
2
Without a structured title
3
Without a stable identifier
9
References with raw author names still to review
2
References with external metadata lookup issues
0
These indicators apply to cited references displayed on this page, after technical duplicates have been merged. A reference without a DOI can still support author statistics when a title and author names are available.
Author names detected in the cited bibliography
74
From DOI or external metadata
74
From validated raw bibliography text
0
Raw names already validated
0
Raw names still to review
3
13 / 74 (17.6%) names are linked to an author already present in AutiHub. 61 / 74 (82.4%) names are not yet linked.
Names linked to a person identified as autistic
0 / 74 (0.0%)
Calculated across all author names detected in the cited bibliography. Among names linked to an author already present in AutiHub: 0 / 13 (0.0%). Distinct people identified as autistic: 0 / 70 (0.0%).
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