Asperger's Syndrome is No Longer a Separate Ailment

Autism has been turned into a single, all-encompassing category after the American Psychiatric Association has voted to review its classification of certain mental disorders. This means that Asperger's syndrome is no longer a separate ailment.

This weekend's vote by the group's board of trustees marks the first revision of the Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders since 1994 and the fifth since it first came about.

Autism Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment, Prognosis
Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder typically characterized by impaired social and communication skills combined with repetitive movements.

The latest change comes after a lengthy and often animated debate among psychiatrists, patient groups and foundations, sparking concerns among some.

The new criteria -- the details of which will be known once the new manual is published in May 2013 -- could deprive some patients of access to welfare services because the insurances and public assistance programs are based on American Psychiatric Association (APA) definitions.

The new classification groups all variants of autism into a single category called "autism spectrum disorder" to "help more accurately and consistently diagnose children with autism," according to an APA news release. It will include Asperger's disorder.

Rett Syndrome – Causes – Symptoms – Signs – Diagnosis - Treatment
Rett Syndrome is a neurological disorder that affects development. It mostly affects the girl child.

"Disruptive mood deregulation disorder" will be included to "diagnose children who exhibit persistent irritability and frequent episodes of behavior outbursts three or more times a week for more than a year," according to the release.

Post-traumatic stress disorder, meanwhile, will be included in a new chapter on trauma and stress-related disorders.

Autism Expert Discusses Expanded Clinical Services for Childhood Disorders
Fred R. Volkmar, M.D., director of the Yale Child Study Center and a renowned expert in autism and related disorders, will discuss the expansion of the Center’s specialty clinical services

"Our work has been aimed at more accurately defining mental disorders that have a real impact on people's lives, not expanding the scope of psychiatry," said David Kupfer, chair of the taskforce overseeing the manual's revision.

Source-AFP