Special report: DSM-5

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Evidence weak for social communication disorder

There are several reasons why social communication disorder should not have been included in the DSM-5, says Helen Tager-Flusberg.

By Helen Tager-Flusberg
30 May 2013 | 6 min read

Intellectual disability’s DSM-5 debut

The newest edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders relies on intellectual function in daily life, both for diagnosing intellectual disability and for determining its level of severity, says Walter Kaufmann.

By Walter Kaufmann
30 May 2013 | 3 min read

Despite fears, DSM-5 is a step forward

There is little to fear in the definition of autism in the latest edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, and a lot to recommend it, says Simon Baron-Cohen.

By Simon Baron-Cohen
30 May 2013 | 7 min read

DSM-5 may better serve girls with autism

The newest edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders overtly acknowledges that females with autism may have features that differ from those of males with the disorder, says William Mandy.

By William Mandy
30 May 2013 | 5 min read

Adjusting diagnostic tests for the DSM-5

As clinicians adopt the new criteria for autism, the many tests now used to diagnose the disorder may need to be modified, says Amy Esler.  

By Amy Esler
30 May 2013 | 5 min read

Will new DSM-5 autism criteria impact services?

The newest edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders is an imperfect document, but it is far from the calamity that many have accused it of being, says Ari Ne’eman.

By Ari Ne’eman
30 May 2013 | 6 min read

Funding agency shifts focus away from diagnostic groups

The National Institute of Mental Health is moving away from research proposals that hew closely to clinical diagnoses such as autism spectrum disorder. The announcement has struck many autism researchers as an attack on the already-controversial new diagnostic criteria for the disorder.

By Sarah DeWeerdt
27 May 2013 | 5 min read

Live DSM-5 discussion

Listen to our virtual roundtable on the DSM-5 criteria for autism, featuring Thomas Insel, Catherine Lord and Helen Tager-Flusberg.

By Greg Boustead
22 May 2013 | 2 min read

From the archives

Why fold Asperger syndrome into autism spectrum disorder in the DSM-5?

In the new diagnostic manual for psychiatric disorders, Asperger syndrome will be folded into autism spectrum disorder. Francesca Happé, a member of the committee that made the recommendation, explains the rationale behind the decision.

By Francesca Happé
29 March 2011 | 8 min read

Proposed guidelines won’t miss autism cases, study says

The proposed changes to the diagnostic criteria for autism are unlikely to exclude many people currently diagnosed with Asperger syndrome or pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified, according to a large analysis published today in the American Journal of Psychiatry.

By Emily Singer
1 October 2012 | 7 min read

Defining language deficits across autism spectrum

We are on the verge of a seismic shift in the definition of autism spectrum disorders, says David Skuse. Under proposed guidelines for autism diagnosis, the canard that most people with the disorder cannot speak, or have such disordered language that they cannot sustain a conversation, has been abandoned.

By David Skuse, William Mandy
27 November 2012 | 9 min read

DSM-5 redefines autism

On Saturday, the American Psychiatric Association released the DSM-5, the long-awaited new version of its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

By Jessica Wright
21 May 2013 | 2 min read

Sobering sample

A survey of health and education professionals finds that about half of them object to the proposed changes in the diagnostic criteria for autism.

By Emily Singer
4 December 2012 | 3 min read

Analysis of new diagnostic criteria for autism sparks debate

A new analysis of proposed changes to the diagnostic criteria for autism suggests that the revision could exclude a substantial number of people with high-functioning autism. But critics say the study is fundamentally flawed.

By Emily Singer
2 April 2012 | 7 min read

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