DIAGNOSTIC EPIDEMIC AND CHALLENGES FOR EDUCATION: THE RISING SCENARIO OF AUTISM DIAGNOSES

Resumen

This article investigates the phenomenon that has come to be known as the “diagnostic epidemic” of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and the challenges it poses for education in light of the growing number of diagnoses in recent decades. The study adopted a qualitative, exploratory approach, using documentary analysis of scientific articles, official reports, and reputable journalistic publications to discuss the causes and implications of this increase from a critical, depathologizing perspective. The findings indicate substantial growth in the prevalence of ASD, driven by scientific advances, greater social awareness, and the expansion and popularization of diagnostic criteria, but also by a diagnostic culture that tends to pathologize behaviors previously regarded as part of the variability of human development and the diverse possibilities of being. In Brazil, the 2022 Demographic Census identified 2.4 million people with autism, representing 1.2% of the population, while the 2024 School Census recorded a 44.4% increase in the enrollment of students with ASD in basic education in just one year. These findings point to the urgent need for curricular adaptations, teacher education, and specialized support, but above all for ethical and critical reflection on the medicalization of childhood, excessive psychodiagnostic processes—sometimes inaccurate and hasty—and their consequences for the school context.