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While Trump's comments on a link between autism and paracetamol have caused uproar, a more pressing debate is going on within the community of autistic people and advocates
A New York Times article has questioned whether the autism spectrum should be split, sparking debate around the globe.
Autism - a hot headline topic of late, following controversial comments by US President Donald Trump - has long been described as a single "spectrum," encompassing people with vastly different needs and experiences.
But some international experts now argue that the term has become too broad to be meaningful and that the repeated expansion of the autism diagnosis has pushed people with severe autism to the sidelines.
They argue the current one-size-fits-all diagnosis simply doesn't fit everyone and that the needs of some autistic people are so complex that they don't fit within the programs designed for the broader autism population.
They want the autism spectrum to be split apart, so that a person who has profound autism, such as severe communication and behavioural challenges, doesn't get the same diagnostic label as a high-performing university student.
They believe that one, all-encompassing diagnosis can deny profoundly autistic people the support they need, and a split would drive better training, research, policy, and funding.
But Autism New Zealand CEO Dane Dougan isn't convinced, telling The Detail that the debate is both complex and personal.
"We do acknowledge that there are members of the autistic community who would like a separate category," he said.
He said that what is often called profound autism "can signal that a person is non-verbal or has an intellectual disability as well, and we do acknowledge that that can be quite challenging for those people and those families."
"That said, we do take a neuro-affirmative approach to how we talk about autism as well, and I feel like splitting the diagnosis up would probably be counterproductive and draw attention away from the actual issue at hand, which is a lack of understanding, support, and accommodations for the autistic people as a whole.
"Splitting those two diagnoses out potentially could cause more division and potentially cause more harm than good, actually."
What is Autism?
Up to 150,000 New Zealanders are born with autism, or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and can be diagnosed from as young as age one.
It can affect how people communicate, interact, and experience the world around them.
"It's essentially a different way of seeing the world, the brain is wired differently," said Dougan. "It is a neurological condition".
Symptoms can range widely - from difficulties with social communication, intense interests and repetitive behaviours to sensory sensitivities and challenges with change or routine.
While autism is typically diagnosed in early childhood, more adults are being diagnosed later in life, as awareness grows and stereotypes shift.
"For some people, they can go on to live the life they want to live, with some support, and for others, they will need 24/7 care for the rest of their lives," Dougan said.
"You don't carry around your autism like a handbag ... you are autistic, it's part of who you are. And then it's just the level of need that you require.
"What we are advocating for is that everyone should have the support they need to be able to live the life they want to live."
A fight for support
In New Zealand, families often face long waiting lists for assessments, diagnosis, and therapy, Dougan said.
"It's really difficult. We actually started our own clinic in Wellington about five years ago for that very reason."
He said children who go on public waiting lists have to wait a "significant amount of time", while it's "quite costly" for those who opt to go private.
For adults, there is "no real path to be diagnosed" at the moment.
"If you don't have a diagnosis of autism, you are not actually eligible for support ... so to get that diagnosis is really important, at an early age."
The average age of diagnosis in New Zealand is seven.
Dougan was quick to point out that people are born with autism, so "nothing the mother or anybody does before the child is born is going to make any difference at this point."
This follows comments by Trump, who created global outrage after linking Paracetamol during pregnancy to autism.
"There is no evidence to back it up at all," Dougan tells The Detail. "And the language that was used is just not conducive to setting up an environment that is going to help not only our autistic community but everyone else out there in society as well."
He said the focus should be on advocating for better training in schools, more funding for diagnostic services, and greater workplace inclusion.
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