Families Brace For Changes In Autism Diagnosis

By MAGALY OLIVERO, Conn. Health I-Team Writer | The Hartford Courant

Proposed changes to the official autism diagnosis are raising concerns among advocates and families with many fearing the new criteria will lead to a loss of services and a sense of identity for some high-functioning individuals with special needs.

"There's no question some people (on the autism spectrum) will lose services," said Dr. Fred Volkmar, an renowned expert on autism and director of the Yale Child Study Center. Volkmar was the lead author of a study that found that only 45 percent of those currently diagnosed with higher functioning forms of autism would meet the new criteria.

The concern has led a coalition of groups within the autism community to urge licensed clinicians worldwide to take part in an online research survey to gauge the impact of the new criteria, according to Katie Weisman, SafeMinds director of communications and policy. SafeMinds, the Holland Center and other organizations created the site: http://www.dsm5asdsurvey.org...  READ MORE >

Image courtesy of David Castillo Dominici / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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