they changed it again

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A. Persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction across contexts, not accounted for by general developmental delays, and manifest by all 3 of the following:

1. Deficits in social-emotional reciprocity; ranging from abnormal social approach and failure of normal back and forth conversation through reduced sharing of interests, emotions, and affect and response to total lack of initiation of social interaction,

2. Deficits in nonverbal communicative behaviors used for social interaction; ranging from poorly integrated- verbal and nonverbal communication, through abnormalities in eye contact and body-language, or deficits in understanding and use of nonverbal communication, to total lack of facial expression or gestures.

3. Deficits in developing and maintaining relationships, appropriate to developmental level (beyond those with caregivers); ranging from difficulties adjusting behavior to suit different social contexts through difficulties in sharing imaginative play and in making friends to an apparent absence of interest in people

B. Restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities as manifested by at least two of the following:

1. Stereotyped or repetitive speech, motor movements, or use of objects; (such as simple motor stereotypies, echolalia, repetitive use of objects, or idiosyncratic phrases).

2. Excessive adherence to routines, ritualized patterns of verbal or nonverbal behavior, or excessive resistance to change; (such as motoric rituals, insistence on same route or food, repetitive questioning or extreme distress at small changes).

3. Highly restricted, fixated interests that are abnormal in intensity or focus; (such as strong attachment to or preoccupation with unusual objects, excessively circumscribed or perseverative interests).

4. Hyper-or hypo-reactivity to sensory input or unusual interest in sensory aspects of environment; (such as apparent indifference to pain/heat/cold, adverse response to specific sounds or textures, excessive smelling or touching of objects, fascination with lights or spinning objects).

C. Symptoms must be present in early childhood (but may not become fully manifest until social demands exceed limited capacities)

D. Symptoms together limit and impair everyday functioning.


somehow this seems slightly better but I don't like the severity scale

Unappropriate social interaction for me would be becomming a missing person.

I like it. Sensory issues and dislike of change are finally in there.
To be diagnosed with anything it has to be affecting your life.

This is for Autistic Disorder, yes?

As of right now there is no differentiation in DSMV between autistic disorder, AS, etc. They're all one condition here.

well there is a severity scale and it's on another page but it talks about severity in terms of how much support you need to live/function.

What happens when some aspies and PDD-NOS people don't meet the new autistic criteria when it comes out? Does that mean they aren't autistic anymore and congratulations they just have the traits?

If they meet the old criteria they should meet the new critieria, maybe? I am not sure about that on account of needing all three social criteria filled.

I suspect people who are already diagnosed won't need to be rediagnosed. They'll just be switched over from whichever they already have to "autistic spectrum disorder."

NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!

Those are the PROPOSED changes to be POSSIBLY incorporated into DSM-V! They are NOT yet adopted.

DSM-IV is still in effect. Latest projections are that DSM-V will be adopted sometime in 2013. There is still yet no 100% guarantee the proposed changes will be adopted.

This has NOT yet been changed!

It is likely this will be adopted when the time comes. These proposed changes have been on the books for quite some time. This is not news.

maybe I am cynical but I just see these diagnostic criteria as a way for government agencies and health organizations to limit the amount of resources being expended. We know there was a huge explosion of people diagnosed in the spectrum after the changes in the DSM last time around. Then there was an even greater demand for resources and now these criteria seem to me to be more restrictive again if you have to have all the category A features, etc. It seems to me it will exclude a lot of folks from getting help they could benefit from if they no longer meet all the criteria. Kind of like what League Girl said- "Congratulations you don't have autism anymore". But it doesn't change the person or their experience or disability. Its just a bunch of academics getting together and trying to describe millions of different people under one label.

I'd like to know what exactly they mean by "supports".

Social communication level 1 looks like it's noticeable impairments without supports.

Social communication level 2 looks like it's noticeable impairments with supports.

Level 3 doesn't mention support, says severe.

Regarding concern of what will happen to existing diagnoses of Aspergers Syndrome, when the DSM V goes into effect, at this time, the rationale tab under the Aspergers section, addresses the question per quote below:

MrXxx