I think that the increasing rates of ASD diagnosis are probably due to multiple factors such as greater awareness of ASD, as well as genetic and environmental influences.
One possibility is that ASD is easier to detect than it used to be. Volumes of published studies have increased our understanding of the condition, which has led to more sensitive diagnostic tools. Additionally, people are more aware of ASD now, including health care professionals, educators, and the lay public, which leads to more identified cases. Further, it is now commonly considered a best practice to screen all infants for developmental delays. Because professionals and the public better understand ASD, the condition is now less stigmatized, and an increasing number of settings (e.g., workplaces, schools, theaters, dentists, and barbers) include supports or accommodations for people with autistic characteristics. Additionally, an ASD diagnosis can help families access educational supports as well as medical services that they could not have otherwise afforded. This decrease in stigma and increase in availability of support and specialized services may influence the risk-benefit analysis that some parents may face when they suspect that their child is developing differently than his or her peers. Finally, more people may qualify for an ASD diagnosis following changes in the DSM-5 (diagnostic criteria simplified, both ASD and ADHD can be diagnoses).
Studies have also associated ASD with several genes, and many theorists believe that there may be combinations of genes that influence the development of varying levels of autistic characteristics. One possibility relating to increased rates of ASD diagnosis is that, in the 21st Century, it is much easier for like-minded people to meet and build relationships, even across many thousands of miles. It could be that these communication and transportation technologies that allow people new opportunities to connect may also have the effect of increasing the probability that people who carry the previously mentioned genes will meet, bond, mate, and produce offspring with a disproportionately high probability of expressing ASD-related traits.
A related potential factor, in the US anyway, is the increasing average age of parents. Studies have associated later parental age with increasing probabilities of the child expressing ASD-related characteristics. There are other factors too, such as associations between ASD and pesticide exposure, differences in the type of maternal antibodies, etc... but this is already a little bit too long for a social media post. Hope this is helpful and I can send you some of the references if you like.
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