Note: Individuals with a well-established DSM-IV diagnosis of autistic disorder, Asperger’s disorder, or pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified should be given the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder.Intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder frequently co-occur to make comorbid diagnoses of autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability, social communication should be below that expected for general developmental level. These disturbances are not better explained by intellectual disability (intellectual developmental disorder) or global developmental delay.Symptoms cause clinically significant impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of current functioning.Symptoms must be present in the early developmental period (but may not become fully manifest until social demands exceed limited capacities, or may be masked by learned strategies in later life). Hyper- or hypo-reactivity to sensory input or unusual interest in sensory aspects of the environment (e.g., apparent indifference to pain/temperature, adverse response to specific sounds or textures, excessive smelling or touching of objects, visual fascination with lights or movement).Highly restricted, fixated interests that are abnormal in intensity or focus (e.g., strong attachment to or preoccupation with unusual objects, excessively circumscribed or perseverative interests).Insistence on sameness, inflexible adherence to routines, or ritualized patterns of verbal or nonverbal behavior (e.g., extreme distress at small changes, difficulties with transitions, rigid thinking patterns, greeting rituals, need to take same route or eat same food every day).Stereotyped or repetitive motor movements, use of objects, or speech (e.g., simple motor stereotypes, lining up toys or flipping objects, echolalia, idiosyncratic phrases). Restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities, as manifested by at least two of the following, currently or by history (examples are illustrative, not exhaustive see text):.Deficits in developing, maintaining, and understanding relationships, ranging, for example, from difficulties adjusting behavior to suit various social contexts to difficulties in sharing imaginative play or in making friends to absence of interest in peers.Deficits in nonverbal communicative behaviors used for social interaction, ranging, for example, from poorly integrated verbal and nonverbal communication to abnormalities in eye contact and body language or deficits in understanding and use of gestures to a total lack of facial expressions and nonverbal communication.Deficits in social-emotional reciprocity, ranging, for example, from abnormal social approach and failure of normal back-and-forth conversation to reduced sharing of interests, emotions, or affect to failure to initiate or respond to social interactions.Persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction across multiple contexts, as manifested by the following, currently or by history (examples are illustrative, not exhaustive see text):.After consolidating autistic disorder, PDD-NOS, and Asperger’s syndrome under autism spectrum disorder in the DSM-5, the APA began requiring healthcare providers to categorize individuals into “severity levels” to help identify their support needs.Because autism symptoms vary and range from mild to severe, it is considered a spectrum disorder.In other words, a lab test cannot tell you if your child does or doesn’t have autism.This means that doctors will base your child’s diagnosis on their developmental history and behavior.If your child is showing signs of autism and you need to have them evaluated, please read I Think My Child May Have Autism: How to Get a Diagnosis.īefore we go into details about the diagnostic criteria for autism, it is helpful to understand a few things: We are providing DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for informational purposes only.In 2013, the APA consolidated these three diagnoses under one diagnosis of “autism spectrum disorder” in the DSM-5.Old diagnostic criteria from the DSM-IV for autistic disorder, pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS), Asperger’s syndrome.Diagnostic criteria for autism spectrum disorder under the DSM-5 (the APA’s current diagnostic manual).In this article, you will find the following information: When determining whether or not a person has autism, professionals look to see if they meet specific diagnosis criteria outlined in The American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ( DSM). Only a well-qualified, trained medical professional can issue an autism diagnosis.
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