Fwd: Fw: Contact the DSM-V Committee to Protest the Newest Changes

[Guest guest]

Just sharing with those of you following this issue...

Debra

____________________________________

From: DDudasik@...

Sent: 1/21/2012 2:43:01 P.M. Central Standard Time

Subj: Fwd: Fw: Contact the DSM-V Committee to Protest the Newest Changes

Thank you Lynette for sharing this with us, please read and follow this

carefully. I am sure we will hear much more about this in the news in the

coming weeks.

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Hi Teri

Thought this would be of interest to everyone.

Lynette

----- Forwarded Message ----

From: GRASP Press Office <press@...>

lynettenewman@...

Sent: Thu, January 19, 2012 5:28:22 PM

Subject: Contact the DSM-V Committee to Protest the Newest Changes

Please forward to whomever you deem appropriate…

Dear all:

There is breaking news regarding the forthcoming fifth edition of the

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-V), which is due out in early 2013.

Spectrum individuals who are better able to mirror greater society will

most likely not qualify for a diagnosis under the most recent revisions.

Please contact the DSM-V committee through the American Psychiatric Association

(see below) and protest their newest proposed changes.

Though our membership was split on the subject, GRASP supported the

changes in terminology that were first reported almost two years ago.

Eliminating

the diagnosis of Asperger’s Syndrome (AS) (as well as Pervasive

Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified), and putting everything under

the

umbrella of “autism†was jarring, as many of us have gotten used to the

term “

AS†to explain certain aspects of our identity. But seeing as no

discernible line in the sand could be drawn that truly separated AS from autism

(though the clinical world tried), the merger made theoretical sense.

Furthermore, any spectrum diagnosis, in essence, served us well enough as it

placed

our behavioral differences within the context of wiring, and not through

the judgmental lens of interpreted character deficits—as had existed before

AS was legitimized in the DSM-IV in 1994.

But sadly, we may be heading back to the days of character deficits. Now

it appears that the terminology is not all that will change with the DSM-V.

Now, it appears that only the more severe cases will qualify for diagnosis

or services.

In _a report being published in tomorrow’s New York Times_

(http://t.ymlp338.net/eeuhadaejmwataubuadajjsj/click.php) , the DSM-V committee

appears to

be acting in consort with clinicians who believe there is a presence of “

over-diagnosis†of spectrum conditions in the U.S. While the clinical world

was merely adhering to the requirements proposed in 1994’s DSM-IV, the DSM-V

committee inexplicably seems to want to reverse the clock back to 1993,

simply because the social services, educational, and advocacy worlds are not

yet able to accommodate the numbers of people who are on the spectrum.

Oddly enough, we believe that the majority of the clinical world does not

believe in problems of “over-diagnosis,†and that the DSM committee

surprisingly represents a minority opinion (most, if not all members of the

committee

have worked exclusively with only the more challenged end of the spectrum).

Lastly, the ideas of “over-diagnosis†are almost always heard through

bitter, emotionally-unhealthy tones; revealed as theories that are usually the

product of people too afraid to admit how dumb we all were prior to 1994.

Suspiciously, the DSM-V committee has released these changes one month

after taking away the opportunity for us to make comments (through their

website) to proposed revisions. In lieu of the means to write them, please

instead call the DSM authors, the American Psychiatric Association, at

703.907.7300 and tell them that you object to these changes. Not only will tens

of

thousands of spectrumites—if not more—be at risk for going back to the days

when we were thought of as rude, nervous, or incompetent; but equal

numbers of spectrumites will happily be denied the services they need by

financially-strapped agencies. Fiscal concerns cannot be invalidated, but this

is

not the answer.

It is very hard for many to understand how diverse, and how complicated

the autism spectrum really is. But to have what should be the leaders of our

clinical world (a) subtley waging a competition of suffering between

opposite ends of the spectrum, by invalidating the negative experiences of one

side, and ( succumbing to such a dumbing-down of the autism spectrum, if

not knowledge itself, is unconscionable. Please make that call.

Sincerely,

Carley

Executive Director

GRASP

The Global and Regional Asperger Syndrome Partnership, Inc.

666 Broadway, Suite 825

New York, NY 10012

p + f = 1.888.474.7277

www.grasp.org

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