Article~Autism Doctors Move Step Closer to Overhauling Diagnosis Rules

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Autism Doctors Move Step Closer to Overhauling Diagnosis Rules

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-01-20/autism-experts-moving-closer-to-overhauling-diagnosis-rules-after-studies.html

Excerpt:

"High-Functioning Patients

Using information from several hundred high-functioning people with autism spectrum disorders, they found that about half would no longer meet the criteria under the new definition being considered, said McPartland, director of the Yale Developmental Disabilities Clinic in New Haven, Connecticut, and a researcher in the study.

“The implications of the study is that there is going to be a change in who receives a diagnosis,” McPartland said by telephone. “All this is very preliminary. This is a piece of information to be considered as the task force moves toward a finalization of the criteria.”

The new guidelines are designed make the diagnostic criteria clearer and more consistent for autism disorders. While there are several terms now that describe related conditions, including autism, Asperger syndrome and childhood disintegrative disorder, they have overlapping characteristics and it is often difficult for clinicians to tell them apart".