diagnostic substitution
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Diagnostic substitution is a phenomenon in which one label for a condition becomes replaced with another, causing an apparent decrease in the rate of the first condition and increase in the rate of the second.{{cite book |pages = 944–945| author=Shattuck, Paul| title=Encyclopedia of Autism Spectrum Disorders| chapter=Diagnostic Substitution| doi=10.1007/978-1-4419-1698-3_5 |year = 2013|isbn = 978-1-4419-1697-6}}
Autism
The best-known example is that of the increasing rates of autism in developed countries such as the United States, which some studies suggest is at least partly a result of people substituting diagnoses of autism for mental retardation and learning disabilities.{{Cite journal | last1 = Shattuck | first1 = P. T. | title = The Contribution of Diagnostic Substitution to the Growing Administrative Prevalence of Autism in US Special Education | doi = 10.1542/peds.2005-1516 | journal = Pediatrics | volume = 117 | issue = 4 | pages = 1028–1037 | year = 2006 | pmid = 16585296| s2cid = 26733990 }}{{Cite journal
| last1 = Coo | first1 = H.
| last2 = Ouellette-Kuntz | first2 = H. L. N.
| last3 = Lloyd | first3 = J. E. V.
| last4 = Kasmara | first4 = L.
| last5 = Holden | first5 = J. J. A.
| last6 = Lewis | first6 = M. E. S.
| doi = 10.1007/s10803-007-0478-x
| title = Trends in Autism Prevalence: Diagnostic Substitution Revisited
| journal = Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
| volume = 38
| issue = 6
| pages = 1036–1046
| year = 2007
| pmid = 17975721
| s2cid = 42224641
}}{{Cite journal | last1 = King | first1 = M. | last2 = Bearman | first2 = P. | doi = 10.1093/ije/dyp261 | title = Diagnostic change and the increased prevalence of autism | journal = International Journal of Epidemiology | volume = 38 | issue = 5 | pages = 1224–1234 | year = 2009 | pmid = 19737791| pmc =2800781 }} While a pilot study by the MIND Institute published in 2002 concluded that "There is no evidence that loosening in diagnostic criteria contributed to an increase in the number of children with autism,"{{Cite journal |author=Byrd RS |publisher=M.I.N.D. Institute |title=Report to the legislature on the principal findings of the epidemiology of autism in California: a comprehensive pilot study |year=2002 |url=http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/mindinstitute/newsroom/study_final.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080414094255/http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/mindinstitute/newsroom/study_final.pdf |archive-date=2008-04-14 |name-list-style=vanc |author2=Sage AC |author3=Keyzer J |display-authors=3 |author4=