Reply #11: On the surface it seems like a good idea

[spinbaby]

But I'm seeing among the children of my aquaintences, a surge of "autism." The kids then get all kinds of therapy and, by the time they go to school, are magically "cured." I suspect that what the "professionals" are actually doing is diagnosing kids that are a bit late in talking with autism. This, of course, results in lots of jobs for therapists and lots of cures.

I think that true autism can be helped, but not "cured." I have a nephew who's been getting intense therapy since he was very young and is now in his early 20s. He can function somewhat and hold down a job (strictly computer-based) because he's been carefully taught how to interact with people, but he's by no means "cured." I worry that a real disorder has become a fad diagnosis.