Autism Analysis Rebuts Overdiagnosis Claims as DSM-5 Broadening Lifted Diagnoses
Updated
Updated · Psychology Today · Aug 17
Autism Analysis Rebuts Overdiagnosis Claims as DSM-5 Broadening Lifted Diagnoses
2 articles · Updated · Psychology Today · Aug 17
Summary
Gifted autistic people can still have substantial disabilities, the analysis argues, warning that visible strengths often hide needs in sensory regulation, executive functioning, communication and daily living.
DSM-5’s consolidation of autism diagnoses, along with greater adult self-advocacy, professional awareness and wider access to information, is cited as a key reason diagnoses have risen — not automatic proof of overdiagnosis.
Research reviewed from 2022 says autistic cognitive patterns such as heightened perception, detail-focused processing and strong systemizing can produce savant skills or twice-exceptionality while leaving major impairments in other domains.
Support systems often miss those uneven profiles, the piece says, because giftedness can mask disability and stereotypes still center on young children with severe communication difficulties.
The broader risk is delayed help: autistic people may be denied services until they fail, while public claims that autism is a crutch or that “anyone” can have it deepen isolation and unmet needs.