Autism Spectrum Disorder Diagnostic Trends in a Coastal English Community (1952-2022)

This epidemiological study examined autism diagnoses among patients in Fleetwood GP practices over 70 years, finding an upward diagnostic trend over the past two decades consistent with UK-wide patterns. The researchers attribute the increase primarily to improved awareness and diagnostic practices rather than true prevalence changes, and note that sex differences in diagnoses become less pronounced when accounting for temporal trends.