Tuesday, April 20, 2010

#35 DSM-5

The proposed diagnostic criteria for Autism Spectrum Disorder were posted online weeks ago. What do you think about the new criteria? Strenghths? Shortcomings? How does your own child measure up to the new criteria?

My initial feelings are pretty positive, simply because it is so much less complicated than before. Jack would definitely qualify for an ASD diagnosis under these criteria, and I think more children who are higher functioning yet clearly disabled would qualify more easily. Eliminating the subcategory of PDD-NOS will (hopefully) help children on the milder end of the spectrum qualify for services and insurance when they have been excluded in the past. Currently, some parts of the country provide services to children diagnosed with Autism proper but not to children with a PDD-NOS diagnosis. Plus, providing more services to the higher-functioning kids will probably have a ripple effect of helping them be more funtional and independent as they grow up and pay off in the long run.

But then, I'm always looking on the positive side and have deliberately waited until the media furor (there was one, I'm sure) over the proposed criteria died down. I plan on googling the issue in the next few days, and would love to hear your take on it first. What shortcomings do you see in the new criteria--especially as they relate to your child, students, or patients--that I'm not considering?

1 comment:

tinamarie said...

I am positive about it as well. I am praying that it will help more children in diagnosing them and getting them the proper treatments.
Now if this helps the insurance companies to start paying for some of these services then it is worth it.
I remember when Tony was fist diagnosed. My insurance company refused to pay anything as they claim its psychological not neurological.
We all know better.