Peace Autism Collective

A Conversation on the "Rising Rates of Autism"

A great conversation on YouTube this week with Dr. Donna Henderson (author of Is This Autism?) and
Megan Anna Neff (https://neurodivergentinsights.com/)

"We unpack the so-called "rising rates of autism" narrative, why people keep framing it as an epidemic, and what is actually happening instead. We talk about changes to diagnostic criteria and the DSM over time, increased awareness and better screening, and the way cultural conversations have opened doors for people who would have been missed a decade or two ago."

Find the link here: https://youtu.be/XwP5UrRpoLM?si=KkuJ91fWBNgbzMe1

If you want to go deeper on this topic, they have a visual guide and transcript available alongside this video on their website: https://neurodivergentinsights.com/ep...

In this video, they explore:
→ Why the rise from 1 in 150 to 1 in 31 is not an "autism epidemic"
→ The history of autism in the DSM, from childhood schizophrenia to spectrum
→ How diagnostic criteria broadened dramatically across DSM-III, IV, and 5
→ Clinician barriers: awareness, knowledge, confidence, and comfort
→ Myths clinicians still believe about who can diagnose autism
→ Diagnostic overshadowing and why autism gets missed
→ The role of screening policies, education shifts, and insurance changes
→ Better recognition of Autistic women, BIPOC individuals, and late-diagnosed adults
→ Whether true prevalence could also be increasing

More from Neurodivergent Insights:
📚 Self-Care for Autistic People: https://neurodivergentinsights.com/shop
📚 The Autistic Burnout Workbook: https://neurodivergentinsights.com/shop
🌐 Neurodivergent Insights: https://neurodivergentinsights.com
🎓 Trainings (including The Lost Generation course): https://neurodivergentinsights.com/tr...
📒 Workbooks: https://neurodivergentinsights.com/shop

Guest: Dr. Donna Henderson is an ADHD psychologist specializing in autism assessment. She is co-author of Is This Autism? A Guide for Clinicians and Self-Advocates.
You can learn more about Dr. Donna Henderson's work here: https://www.isthisautism.com/

We are at our NEW permanent location! our new clinic address is - 10055 120 Ave.

We are excited to offer a dedicated assessment space (with separate observation room) as well as a dedicated area for interviewing. This space is also wheelchair accessible with its own parking lot.

We look forward to meeting you in our new space!

Client Reviews:

"Peace Autism Collective has it figured out! Their team approach to assessments left us feeling seen, heard and cared for. It was a true wrap around service. I am so grateful for their insight, expertise and the incredible final report. This assessment will be so valuable in my child’s future as she continues to grow and understand how to connect with the world as a person with Autism."

"Thank you for making my adult assessment (relatively) stressless. You all put me at my ease and worked so well together. I appreciate your kindness and compassion."

Call now to connect with business.

We are very excited to announce that our Collective is growing! We would like to welcome Kim Schellenberg to our team!

Kim is a Registered Psychologist who has been practicing in the area of education and school psychology since 2008. In addition to being a practicing Psychologist, she has been a teacher, school mental health therapist, and school administrator.

We are excited to continue our community support and grow our Assessment Team!