Change in Autism Diagnoses Prior to and Following the Introduction of DSM-5.

The team tracked autism numbers before and after DSM-5 came out. They looked at all kids under seven in the state registry. They counted new diagnoses and funding claims for two years on each side of the switch.

The steady climb in autism labels stopped cold once DSM-5 arrived. Funding sign-ups also dipped a little. The tighter rules clearly trimmed the rolls.

Wilson et al. (2013) saw the same shrinkage in adults: DSM-5 missed half who fit the older rules. Their clinic data foretold the population drop A et al. later caught.

Foley-Nicpon et al. (2017) offers a fix—using both ADOS and ADI-R keeps every bright kid inside the new frame. Without that pair, you lose over a third of cases.

Foley et al. (2018) adds a twist: GP visits for autism kept rising even as funded cases flattened. Kids still need help; they just carry fewer official labels.

Your intake file may look lighter, but need has not shrunk. Run both ADOS and ADI-R so high-functioning kids do not slip out of services. If a child fails DSM-5 yet shows clear social-communication gaps, document the need anyway and pursue alternative funding codes. The label changed; the learner still counts.