FW: APA forced to re-open DSM5 comment period. Please comment and share with AAN

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Please please please please take a few minutes to send your comments into the APA. S. From: Autism Action Network (A-CHAMP) Sent: Sunday, May 13, 2012 8:06 AMTo: SingletonSubject: APA forced to re-open DSM5 comment period. Please comment and share with AAN APA forced to Re-Open Public Comment on DSM5More InfoPlease comment and Share with Autism Action Network In response to the intense criticism surrounding the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual 5 (DSM5), the American Psyciatric Association (APA) has re-opened public comment on the proposed changes. Please log in to the APA website at www.dsm5.org and please provide comments on why the proposed changes to the definition of autism are poorly considered notions that pose a great threat to people with autism, yet provide no tangible benefits.You can comment at ww.DSM5.org and please copy and paste your comments and send them in an email to Autism Action Network at jgilmore@...Multiple studies have shown that anywhere from 55% to 19% (the APA's own study) of all people with a current diagnosis will lose their autism diagnosis. For many people the loss of the diagnosis will also mean loss of educational placements, possible health insurance coverage, Medicaid waivers, early intervention and other services. A new catch-all diagnosis called " social communication disorder " has been invented as a new label to apply to those who lose their autism diagnosis.If changed, the new diagnostic critieria will also allow those who want to deny the epidemic the leeway to discount the last 20 years of autism epidemiology. They will claim that due to the changes in the DSM5 we are comparing apples and oranges. We can fully expect school districts, service providers and insurance comapnies to require re-evaluation with the proposed new criteria, we have received reports that this is already happening. The cost to re-evaluate 100,000's of people with autism will be extremely expenisve to families, and the ovrerall cost of adopting the new DSM5 will require the retraining of thousands of professionals, also at great expense.And to top if off, the APA has not been able to identify a single benefit to people with autism that will result from this pointless, dangerous and expensive venture. Please comment at www.DSM5.org and please copy paste your comments and email them to the Autism Action Network at jgilmore@.... We will be posting the most interesting comments on our website.Please share this email with friends and family and please post to Facebook and other social networks. And again please comment at www.dsm5.org If you no longer wish to receive e-mail from us, please click here.