Since the 1990s, diagnoses of autism, or autism spectrum disorder, in industrialized nations have increased. For example, in the United Kingdom, there was an over 700% increase in diagnoses between 1998 and 2018 (“Why Is Autism Increasing?” Psych Central). The causes of these increases can be aligned with the American Psychological Association’s expansion of the definition for autism in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders V (DSM-V). Significant changes were made to the DSM in the 1980s that widened the criteria for people with autism, expanding the number of diagnoses seen in later years. Additionally, in the United States, the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990 recognized autism as a disability, increasing the number of students who were reported to be served by public school systems (Williams, John. “He Is A Journalist With Autism, but in His Book, That’s Not the Whole Story.” The New York Times, 2021). Due to this rise, societies and cultures are far more familiar with, and to some degree understanding of, people with autism.

This trend has been reflected in, and accelerated by, novels and popular culture. For example, the 2003 novel The Curious Incident of the Dog at Night Time by Mark Haddon, about a 15-year-old with autism investigating his dog’s death, won widespread acclaim and readership.