Over diagnosis of autism
What problems might come from the rise in diagnosis of ASD?
In an editorial published 13 April 2026 in JAMA Pediatrics, a journal of the American Medical Association, Lester Liao and Eric Fombonne (2026) examined “Autism Overdiagnosis and its Harmful Effects.” Professors Liao and Fombonne, both of whom are medical doctors, explain their view of the issue of over diagnosis and the negative consequences of it.
The problem as Drs. Liao and Fombonne—they are affiliated with Montreal Children’s Hospital and Oregon Health & Science University, respectively—see it is that factors such as diagnostic substitution, expanded boundaries of what constitutes autism, misuse and misinterpretation of diagnostic tools, differing standards for classifying individuals as having autism, and other considerations have led to the oft-discussed increases in prevalence of autism spectrum disorder. This growth in prevalence has had harmful repercussions, especially in diverting important services from individuals (and their families) who are in greatest need of help; services become diluted, the diagnosis becomes trivial, and of more specific problems may be pushed aside in efforts to address autism.
