I sometimes wonder how many of today's "on the spectrum" kids are really just abuse and/or neglect victims whose social skills are stunted by dysfunctional family dynamics.
It's a great way for the parents to get away with abuse, because they can always pull the "you don't know what it's like to have an autistic child, this is what works for our family and who are you to judge" card. Obvious warning signs of abuse, like sexually provocative behavior, bathroom issues, social withdrawal, will be seen as symptomatic of autism and not anything more sinister.