Unpopular opinion: the "autism epidemic" framing is lazy.
US diagnoses rose 3.1% to 4.5% in five years — steepest in girls and 3-5-year-olds.
That's not an epidemic. That's us finally looking.
Nobody talks about the playground as an intervention room. A 2026 meta-analysis of 16 studies: structured exercise significantly improved autistic children's balance, locomotion, and ball skills. Motor skills aren't even diagnostic criteria. What movement does your kid love?