“It’s time to break up this huge spectrum to make it more intelligible”.

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Title: “It’s time to break up this huge spectrum to make it more intelligible”.
Authors: Frith, Uta (AUTHOR)
Source: New Scientist. 5/16/2026, Vol. 270 Issue 3595, p38-41. 4p. 3 Color Photographs.
Subjects: Autism spectrum disorders, Diagnosis, Sex factors in disease, Scientific method, Psychologists, Theorists, Neurobehavioral disorders
Abstract: The article focuses on Uta Frith’s critical perspective on the evolving understanding and diagnosis of autism. Frith, a pioneering psychologist who developed influential cognitive theories about autism, argues that the broadening of diagnostic criteria since the 1990s has blurred distinctions between profound autism and milder forms, leading to an unhelpful and overly inclusive autism spectrum. She questions whether many recently diagnosed individuals, especially women and girls, represent distinct conditions or personality variations rather than neurodevelopmental autism. Frith advocates for renewed scientific rigor, including clearer subtyping of autism, to better understand its underlying mechanisms and improve research, while acknowledging the complexity of balancing scientific inquiry with the lived experiences and needs of autistic people. [Extracted from the article]
Copyright of New Scientist is the property of New Scientist Ltd. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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  Label: Title
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  Data: “It’s time to break up this huge spectrum to make it more intelligible”.
– Name: Author
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Frith%2C+Uta%22">Frith, Uta</searchLink> (AUTHOR)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22New+Scientist%22">New Scientist</searchLink>. 5/16/2026, Vol. 270 Issue 3595, p38-41. 4p. 3 Color Photographs.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Autism+spectrum+disorders%22">Autism spectrum disorders</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Diagnosis%22">Diagnosis</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Sex+factors+in+disease%22">Sex factors in disease</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Scientific+method%22">Scientific method</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Psychologists%22">Psychologists</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Theorists%22">Theorists</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Neurobehavioral+disorders%22">Neurobehavioral disorders</searchLink>
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  Data: The article focuses on Uta Frith’s critical perspective on the evolving understanding and diagnosis of autism. Frith, a pioneering psychologist who developed influential cognitive theories about autism, argues that the broadening of diagnostic criteria since the 1990s has blurred distinctions between profound autism and milder forms, leading to an unhelpful and overly inclusive autism spectrum. She questions whether many recently diagnosed individuals, especially women and girls, represent distinct conditions or personality variations rather than neurodevelopmental autism. Frith advocates for renewed scientific rigor, including clearer subtyping of autism, to better understand its underlying mechanisms and improve research, while acknowledging the complexity of balancing scientific inquiry with the lived experiences and needs of autistic people. [Extracted from the article]
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  Data: <i>Copyright of New Scientist is the property of New Scientist Ltd. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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      – Code: eng
        Text: English
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        StartPage: 38
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Autism spectrum disorders
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Diagnosis
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Sex factors in disease
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Scientific method
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Psychologists
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Theorists
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Neurobehavioral disorders
        Type: general
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      – TitleFull: “It’s time to break up this huge spectrum to make it more intelligible”.
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              M: 05
              Text: 5/16/2026
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
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