Service Implications of the DSM-5 for People with Autism Webinar

Autism NOW Webinar: Service Implications of the DSM-5 for People with Autism

Service Implications of the DSM-5 for People with Autism

Time: Tuesday, May 14, 2013, from 2:00 to 3:30 PM EST
Speakers: The Autistic Self-Advocacy Network (ASAN)

The fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-5) will be released in May and is accompanied by much talk about what this will mean for individuals with autism and their families when it comes to obtaining a diagnosis and receiving services. In this webinar, the Autistic Self-Advocacy Network (ASAN) will discuss the various revisions to the autism diagnostic criteria in the DSM-5, along with the service provision implications. Presenters will address breaking down silos between those diagnosed with Asperger’s disorder and those with other autism spectrum disorder diagnoses. This webinar will also provide strategies to help inform educators, clinicians and other professionals about the diversity among people on the autism spectrum. Do not miss this groundbreaking webinar – register today!

Space is limited. Reserve your seat now for the May 14, 2013 webinar.

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Asperger's Syndrome Dropped from DSM

Asperger's syndrome dropped from psychiatrists' 

handbook, the DSM

DSM-5, latest revision of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, merges Asperger's with autism and widens dyslexia category

Asperger's syndrome is to be dropped from the psychiatrists' Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) of Mental Disorders, the American publication that is one of the most influential references for the profession around the world.

The term "Asperger's disorder" will not appear in the DSM-5, the latest revision of the manual, and instead its symptoms will come under the newly added "autism spectrum disorder", which is already used widely. That umbrella diagnosis will include children with severe autism, who often do not talk or interact, as well as those with milder forms.

In other changes to the DSM, abnormally bad and frequent temper tantrums will be diagnosed as DMDD, meaning disruptive mood dysregulation disorder. Supporters say it will address concerns about too many children being misdiagnosed with bipolar disorder and treated with powerful psychiatric drugs.

The aim was not to expand the number of people diagnosed with mental illness but to ensure those affected were more accurately diagnosed so they could get the most appropriate treatment, said Dr David Kupfer, the University of Pittsburgh psychiatry professor who chaired the revision committee.

One of the most hotly argued changes was how to define the various ranges of autism. Some on the panel opposed the idea of dropping the specific diagnosis for Asperger's. People with that disorder often have high intelligence and vast knowledge on narrow subjects but lack social skills. Some Asperger's families opposed any change, fearing their children will lose a diagnosis and no longer be eligible for special services, but experts have said this will not be the case.

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Autism by the Numbers: Researchers Examine Impact of New Diagnostic Criteria

ScienceDaily (Apr. 10, 2012) — "Getting an autism diagnosis could be more difficult in 2013 when a revised diagnostic definition goes into effect. The proposed changes may affect the proportion of individuals who qualify for a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder, according to a study by Yale Child Study Center researchers published in the April issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.
The proposed changes to the diagnostic definition will be published in the fifth edition of the American Psychiatric Association's (APA) "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5)."
"Given the potential implications of these findings for service eligibility, our findings offer important information for consideration by the task force finalizing DSM-5 diagnostic criteria," said Yale Child Study Center director Dr. Fred Volkmar, who conducted the study with colleagues Brian Reichow and James McPartland.
Volkmar and his team performed an analysis of symptoms observed in 933 individuals evaluated for autism in the field trial for DSM-4. They found that about 25 percent of those diagnosed with classic autism and 75 percent of those with Asperger's Syndrome or pervasive developmental disorder, not otherwise specified, would not meet the new criteria for autism. The study also suggests that higher-functioning individuals may be less likely to meet the new criteria than individuals with intellectual disabilities.
Volkmar cautioned that these findings reflect analyses of a single data set and that more information will be provided by upcoming field trials overseen by the APA. He stressed that it is critical to examine the impact of proposed criteria in both clinical and research settings."
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