Autism has changed considerably over the past 20 years. Rough estimates suggested that 1 in 2,500 children were likely to be diagnosed with autism in 1997. Today, the CDC reports that one 1 in 59 children has been identified with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) which is a 15% increase in the last 2 years. In 2013, the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) newly identified autism as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) combining the subcategories of the condition into one umbrella diagnosis. Along with rate changes and categorization changes, a change in the co-morbid conditions that are likely to occur with ASD have increased. This includes increased rates of anxiety, ADHD, depression, disruptive behavior disorder and conduct disorder to name just a few. What hasn’t changed are the treatments the field considers to be “Best Practice”. This includes the methodologies of Applied Behavioral Analysis such as discrete trial training, concepts of data collection and analysis, and the use of natural environment teaching.
