Abstract
The American Psychiatric Association’s recommendation to delete (remove) Asperger’s disorder as a separate diagnostic category from the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) has been widely publicized [1-3]. Specifically, DSM-5 Work Group members propose a new category of “autism spectrum disorder”, which subsumes the current diagnoses of autistic disorder (autism), Asperger’s disorder, childhood disintegrative disorder, and Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS). This new category reflects members’ conclusion that “a single spectrum disorder” better describes our current understanding about the pathology and clinical presentation of the neurodevelopmental disorders.
Highlights
Problems in applying the current DSM criteria were a key consideration in the Work Group’s recommendation to delete Asperger’s disorder as a separate diagnostic entity
Williams et al [18] conducted a survey of 466 professionals reporting on 348 relevant cases, and found that 44% of children diagnosed with Asperger, Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS), atypical autism, or other ASD label met the criteria for Autistic Disorder
The objective of the draft criteria is that every individual who has significant “impairment” in social-communication and Restricted and Repetitive Behavior or Interests (RRBI) should meet the diagnostic criteria for autism spectrum disorder
Summary
The American Psychiatric Association’s recommendation to delete (remove) Asperger’s disorder as a separate diagnostic category from the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) has been widely publicized [1,2,3]. DSM-5 Work Group members propose a new category of “autism spectrum disorder”, which subsumes the current diagnoses of autistic disorder (autism), Asperger’s disorder, childhood disintegrative disorder, and Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS). Work Group members commented that language deficits are neither universal in ASD, nor should they be considered as a defining feature of the diagnosis Another significant revision in the proposed criteria involves a change in the requirement that “delays or abnormal functioning in at least one of the three core developmental areas be present by the age of three”. The proportion of individuals receiving a diagnosis of Asperger syndrome ranged from zero to nearly 21 percent across sites The findings of these studies support the recommendation for a general category of autism spectrum disorder, rather than attempting to distinguish between specific disorders
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