What happened of the once-popular "Attention Deficit Disorder" ?

Was it re-named as 'autism', or something ? What is the difference between the two, anyway — if any ?

As a matter of "an apparent state of facts found to exist upon reasonable inquiry . . . which would induce a reasonably intelligent and prudent man to believe . . . that a cause of action existed" (Black's Law Dictionaty) one ventures : if your child be "diagnosed with autism", and if there be anything not quite right with any such a "diagnosis", then he or she could be ruined for the rest of his or her life.

How does one know that any such "illness" as "autism" does in fact exist ? The descriptions found in the "scientific" literature look either vague or inscrutable, I have also seen "Authorities" adduced therein who (by my findings) could in no way be creditedable.

Any attempts at "curing" a non-existent "something" could only do harm. One had better not erred on such a count. I am only advocating caution, the reader, on such an issue. Common sense can be a kind of guide still.

I have seen reported instances of what has been called speechlessness (mute). The phenomena may have been known ever since the first words had been uttered, by some humans, somewhere. By contrast, some of those humans may have, for some reasons, refused to speak.

I gather that the noted mathematician Einstein was a late talker.

Had Einstein been "diagnosed" with "autism" (or some equivalent) early enough — so that the "illness" would not be "left undiagnosed and untreated" — what would have happened of the human progress on the mathematical physics ?

There may be some instances found of somebody's speechlessness ('mute') here or there. Could some such 2 or 3 (or 20 - 30) instances be turned, by some sort of "scientific" sleigh-of-hand, into any number of "diagnosed with autism" ?

I am afraid that is not impossible, the reader. because the sorts of advertising campaigns I had seen recently with my own eyes seemed to suggest some such action.

WPT, Apr 08.