Progressive Politics

From TFA:

They attribute most of the surge to increased awareness of the disorder and changes in how it is classified by medical professionals.

I’ve seen so many depictions of historical figures that I’ve been like “yep, they’re on the spectrum” that I can’t doubt this.

And a reduction of the stigma associated with medical disorders in general. JFK had a sister with learning disability and mild disagreeableness, which they treated by cutting out part of her brain, leaving her requiring lifelong care. They sent her away and pretended she didn't exist.

Also worth noting that people tend to refer to autism as if it's a singular set of phenotypes, when really there's a bunch of ways that autism can manifest; hence autism spectrum disorder.