The truth is that our understanding of autism has developed in leaps and bounds since the early 1990s. We are now, as a society, far more aware of the fact that autistic people exist in all demographics. The revelation that girls and women can be autistic in considerable numbers – imagine! – has increased overall numbers hugely, as has a better awareness of autism in indigenous, Black and other marginalised communities. In such circumstances it would be strange for numbers not to increase.
