“There’s such a thing as an Autism Epidemic.”
Ruling:
False. Misinterpretation of figures.
Analysis:
In recent years, there has only been an increase in diagnoses of autism among certain groups of people living in certain regions; this is caused by heightened awareness of the condition, not the incidence. In this particular context, the word ‘epidemic’ is a media hype misnomer.
See other: Mythconceptions?
Knowledge Guild 
As one who has spent considerable time in the service of special needs children, I can certainly agree with that. A few years ago, we didn’t even know what autism was; now we are coming to recognize that there are many forms of it, and that it doesn’t always manifest itself in the same way each time it appears.