Chapter 10: Pandora's Box

     I discussed previously how autism went from being a very narrow diagnosis only found in children to a larger spectrum. In this chapter, we expand on that as we witness the Diagnosis and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (or DSM) go from selling a few thousand copies a year to becoming a bestseller. 

    When the DSM was being revised and prepped for its third edition, editor Robert Spritzer brought in researchers (including Lorna Wing) who would help expand the definition of autism beyond schizophrenia and being limited to only children. Kanner’s original checklist was questioned and expanded upon and the diagnosis was expanded beyond what Kanner had ever foreseen. This eventually led to the problem we saw at the turn of the century when people began to suggest that autism was epidemic that was exploding in our population. The truth of the matter was that it had been here for some time, we were just more aware of how to diagnose it.