Did you read the whole article? I'm curious, because I don't think you're actually disagreeing with the author on many of your points. For instance, "Autism Spectrum Disorder isn't just that the child is introverted." That's basically one of the core arguments of the piece.
"...there's nothing but anecdotal evidence..."
No, the author actually points out that a lot of the current methodology used to diagnose and test children is limited and at risk of observational or situational bias.
For example:
"Of the two hundred autism assessment programs his team surveyed across the country, many of which were located in prestigious medical centers, only 10 percent emphasized the need to observe a child along with a parent or guardian for more than ten minutes as they spontaneously interacted together. He tended to observe children playing with a parent for forty-five minutes or more, waiting for choice points to engage a child to determine if he or she was capable of more sustained eye contact, elaborate verbalizations, or shared emotional reactions. Dr. Greenspan believed that these conditions of safety and sensitive interaction were essential in order to obtain an accurate reading of a child’s true verbal and social skills."
Here is he saying that we're not spending enough time with children to make conclusive diagnoses, one way or the other. Autism or otherwise.
"...there's nothing but anecdotal evidence..."
No, the author actually points out that a lot of the current methodology used to diagnose and test children is limited and at risk of observational or situational bias.
For example:
"Of the two hundred autism assessment programs his team surveyed across the country, many of which were located in prestigious medical centers, only 10 percent emphasized the need to observe a child along with a parent or guardian for more than ten minutes as they spontaneously interacted together. He tended to observe children playing with a parent for forty-five minutes or more, waiting for choice points to engage a child to determine if he or she was capable of more sustained eye contact, elaborate verbalizations, or shared emotional reactions. Dr. Greenspan believed that these conditions of safety and sensitive interaction were essential in order to obtain an accurate reading of a child’s true verbal and social skills."
Here is he saying that we're not spending enough time with children to make conclusive diagnoses, one way or the other. Autism or otherwise.