DSM-V criterion friend or foe?

[trekster]

DSM-V criterion friend or foe?

"
Any thoughts on this new criterion? The idea would be to remove the terms 'higher functioning and aspergers' in the hope of improving possible access to services.

A. Persistent difficulties in pragmatics or the social uses of verbal and nonverbal communication in naturalistic contexts, which affects the development of social reciprocity and social relationships that cannot be explained by low abilities in the domains of word structure and grammar or general cognitive ability.
B. Persistent difficulties in the acquisition and use of spoken language, written language, and other modalities of language (e.g., sign language) for narrative, expository and conversational discourse. Symptoms may affect comprehension, production, and awareness at a discourse level individually or in any combination that are likely to endure into adolescence and adulthood, although the symptoms, domains, and modalities involved may shift with age.
C. Rule out Autism Spectrum Disorder. Autism spectrum disorder by definition encompasses pragmatic communication problems, but also includes restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests or activities as part of the autism spectrum. Therefore, Autism Spectrum Disorder needs to be ruled out for Social Communication Disorder to be diagnosed. Social Communication Disorder can occur as a primary impairment or co-exist with disorders other than Autism Spectrum Disorder (e.g., Speech Disorders Learning Disorder, Intellectual Disorders)
D. Symptoms must be present in early childhood (but may not become fully manifest until speech, language, or communication demands exceed limited capacities).
E. The low social communication abilities result in functional limitations in effective communication, social participation, academic achievement, or occupational performance, alone or in any combination."

Edited November 21, 2016 by trekster

[OzKazz]

Does removing 'high functioning and Aspergers' from the assessment criteria mean that these diagnoses would be lumped under 'Autism' or 'ASD'? To do so would be majorly detrimental. This is the case is Aus - though Aspergers is a seperate diagnosis. The support here is focused on Autism and if you have an ASD you get lumped into the autistic bucket. I appreciate that the areas of impairment in HFA and ASP are the same however how the impairments present themsleves are very, very different. We put our son in a school which whilst primarily for autsism also claimed to be able to effecfively support ASP. Suffice to say they couldn't and didn't. They focused on teaching all the children as though they were autistic. In summation, our son developed a stress related psychosis directly related to his appalling treatment at the shool and was removed primarialy on our own accord, but also on the advice of his psychologist. UK - you DO NOT want to go down this path. It will detsroy all the progres you have made!