The definition of the word autism is a moving target. It seems that each year (or more often), some sort of new study adds, shifts, or refutes certain aspects of the previous definition of "autism."

Without making light of mental health, at this point there seems to be different Packaged versions of autism...(ahem) sort of like Android versions. I have Android 2.0, you have Android 4.0, but he has Android 4.1, with multitasking!

Be it as it may, I think that the word AUTISM, when used as an umbrella for, it seems, 32 flavors of "somewhat different", or I pray--mentally peculiar, makes diagnosis, therapy, and prognosis challenging.

Case and point, a child's autism as defined in Autism version 2.3 in the Physician's Desk Reference (PDR) might not even really be autism after all, when compared with Autism version 4.1 in tomorrow's PDR. Hence why I advocate that the term autism be muted...sort of like Women's Hysteria in the 1950s. (ladies!)

I'd much rather have the doctor NOT come to any convenient Psycho-Somatic conclusions related to a young patient's mental health, and instead run additional tests, and help parents understand more aspects of that child's unique traits, and their respective probable solutions.

My two cents.