New Autism Definition Could Exclude Many (NEW YORK) -- Proposed
changes to the definition of autism might make it much harder
for a person to be diagnosed with the disorder. The change would
likely slow the rapidly increasing rate of autism diagnoses but
also spark fears that some children with autism would no longer
fit its definition, excluding them from services and treatments
they depend on. A panel of experts from the American Psychiatric
Association re-evaluating the definition currently published in
the “bible” of psychiatry, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual
of Mental Disorders, which is used to determine treatment,
insurance coverage and access to services for a variety of
mental illnesses. That definition includes a number of disorders
under the umbrella of autism spectrum disorder, including autism
disorder, Asperger’s disorder and pervasive development disorder
not otherwise specified, which usually includes people who don’t
fit neatly into the other categories of autism. Currently,
people mus