A groundbreaking study led by the University of Otago's Faculty of Medicine in Christchurch has found that autism spectrum disorder diagnoses in New Zealand have more than tripled over the past 15 years. The research, published in The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, provides what the university calls "the most comprehensive picture yet of autistic spectrum disorder across the NZ population." The study examined diagnosis rates for both children and adults, revealing a remarkable increase that shows no signs of slowing down.