By Priti M. Kothari, MDMore children in the United States are being diagnosed with autism and ADHD than at any point on record, and the pace of that increase has surprised even the researchers who track it. ADHD has followed a similar trajectory, with national survey data showing several million children currently carrying the diagnosis. Several factors appear to be driving this rise simultaneously, and untangling them matters for how families understand what’s happening. For parents navigating this landscape, the most important step is early evaluation when concerns arise, rather than a “wait and see” approach. The rise in ADHD and autism diagnoses reflects a complex mix of better recognition, expanded access to evaluation, and ongoing questions researchers are still working to answer.