A surge in diagnoses has created a booming industry, riddled with incentives that drive up costs and distort care
AUTISM IS A spectrum disorder, meaning people with it have a wide range of traits, strengths and support needs. That diversity is on display at the Cortica therapy centre in Burlington, Massachusetts, where a group of toddlers work their way through an obstacle course. One girl completes it carefully, head down, avoiding eye contact. Another darts into a corner, squeezing her eyes shut, pressing her fingers into her ears and shaking her head. Elsewhere, a boy screams.
This article appeared in the United States section of the print edition under the headline “The autism boom”