06 November 2009

"Asperger's Syndrome" Potentially Removed from Medical Manual

The American Psychiatric Association is considering officially removing the term "Asperger's Syndrome" for the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

The New York Times interviewed Catherine Lord, director of the Autism and Communication Disorders Centers at the University of Michigan. Lord explains that there is no clear clinical line between Asperger's and mild autism, leaving the diagnosis murky and scientifically unfounded.

Opponents of the change have concerns as to how the disappearance of the term "Asperger's" from medical lexicon will affect insurers, researchers, schools and government bodies, and contend that it might lead to a detrimental decrease in autism assessments. Tony Attwood, author of The Complete Guide to Asperger's Syndrome and Asperger's and Girls, among others, acknowledges that the public has a "neutral or fairly positive view of the term Asperger’s syndrome." However, many balk at the suggestion of "autism" and may refuse to offer themselves up for diagnosis and treatment.

Other changes to the manual may counter the disappearance of "Asperger's" by expanding the definition of autism spectrum disorders to include associated conditions such as "anxiety, attention disorders, gastrointestinal problems, seizures and sensory differences like extreme sensitivity to noise."

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