The prevalence of autism has increased nearly 1000% in the United States over the last 15 years. Now, as many as 1 in 150 children may be diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders. We now include people who would have been previously diagnosed with mental retardation, as well as people who were merely labeled “eccentric,” on the autism spectrum. Research into the causes, treatments, and cures of autism is extensive, and covers the entire scientific continuum. Supporters, advocates, and opponents of autism rights, likewise, run the gamut from those who think autism needs to be cured, to those who think that autism is simply a different way of functioning and needs no treatment at all.