Experts decided it would be best to characterize autism as an all-inclusive diagnosis, ranging from mild to severe. At the same time, there was growing concern about a lack of consistency in how clinicians in different states and clinics arrived at a diagnosis of autism, Asperger syndrome or PDD-NOS. A spike in autism prevalence in the s suggested that clinicians were sometimes swayed by parents lobbying for a particular diagnosis or influenced by the services available within their state.
Each group includes specific behaviors, a certain number of which clinicians have to identify. The manual eliminated Asperger syndrome, PDD-NOS and classic autism, but debuted a diagnosis of social communication disorder to include children with only language and social impairments. Childhood disintegrative disorder and Rett syndrome were removed from the autism category. Why did the DSM-5 spawn so much concern and controversy? Even before the manual was released in , many people with autism and their caregivers worried about its effect on their lives.
Many were concerned that after their diagnosis disappeared from the book, they would lose services or insurance coverage. Those who identified themselves as having Asperger syndrome said the diagnosis gave them a sense of belonging and an explanation for their challenges; they feared that removing the diagnosis was synonymous to losing their identity. A growing body of evidence, however, shows that its criteria do exclude more people with milder traits, girls and older individuals than the DSM-IV did.
Are there alternatives to the DSM? As a result of this inconsistent application and similarities among the PDDs, the APA removed the clinical term from use and replaced it with a broad Autism Spectrum Disorder ASD term — encompassing several previous distinct disorders — when they published their most recent diagnostic manual in However, the WHO continues to use the term, at least until they release the ICD 11th edition in , which is reported to also use ASD in place of previous diagnostic terms.
And there are concerns this could have a negative impact on their financial support and services , which are dependent on a diagnosis. However, the APA states that individuals who had a diagnosis under the previous framework should not lose their diagnosis. Volkmar maintains that the new criteria are just too restrictive: "The way the original definition worked, clinicians had 2, possible combinations of diagnostic criteria that would result in a diagnosis," he explains.
That may disenfranchise people from the services they need and that's a real worry. All content on this Web site, including medical opinion and any other health-related information, is for informational purposes only and should not be considered to be a specific diagnosis or treatment plan for any individual situation.
Use of this site and the information contained herein does not create a doctor-patient relationship. Always seek the direct advice of your own doctor in connection with any questions or issues you may have regarding your own health or the health of others. Society seems to believe that once a child becomes an adult, their Autism magically goes away. I really hope this changes, as your children are still your children as they age, and will still need support.
What Happened to Asperger's? By Crayola Beauty Lips February 19, Save Pin FB More. Psychoactive medicines can help manage associated anxiety, depression and attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder ADHD. They had normal to high intelligence. But they lacked social skills and had extremely narrow interests. The children also shared a tendency to be clumsy. Asperger Syndrome Autism Statistics and Facts. Associated Conditions Sensory Issues.
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