Statistically speaking, it’s highly likely that everyone knows someone with autism. The CDC estimates that 1 in 36 children in the US is autistic, with the numbers quite heavily weighted towards boys and away from girls. Recent increases in the number of people with autism reflect improvements in outreach, screening, and de-stigmatization of autism diagnosis, according to Autism Speaks, one of the leading autism awareness charities in the US. Meanwhile, autism scholarship has come a long way. Scientists recently identified “two distinct” genetic bases for autism, and a new study warns that bab…