The Ever-Expanding Spectrum of Autism
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), as defined in DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5th edition), is a social communicative disorder. It has a vast history that we will uncover through during this post.
In the table below, you will notice the development of ASD since 1968. In DSM-II, 1968, ASD was referred to as infantile autism, which came under the umbrella of Schizophrenia. When a new edition of the DSM came out, DSM-III, 1980, and DSM-III-R, 1987, ASD was under Pervasive developmental disorders. In DSM-IV, 1994, ASD and Asperger’s disorder have been separated into two distinct disorders. In 2013, ASD was made its own distinct disorder in the DSM-V.
The criteria for ASD is listed below.
For an individual to be diagnosed with ASD, they must match each of the symptom criteria,
Deficits in social communication,
Repetitive behaviours, and
Symptoms must be present in early developmental period.
Once a child is diagnosed with ASD, the severity of their diagnosis is then discussed. Parents are urged to seek interventions as early as possible. Early intervention is key!
In the past, a child being diagnosed with ASD was traumatizing for the family as there was a lot of stigma related to the diagnosis. The mother of the child with ASD was looked upon as a “refrigerator mother,” meaning that the mother did not show appropriate emotions towards the child and was neglectful. The mother’s neglect was said to cause ASD.
With many years of research, this notion of a “refrigerator mother” was discarded. Current research states that there could be genetic and environmental factors which can lead to an individual being diagnosed with ASD.
Understanding how the diagnosis of ASD has grown to be its’ own diagnosis in the DSM 5, leads to answering the question: why is the prevalence of ASD increasing in western society?
ASD is considered a “western” disease in many parts of the world. Whether that is due to lack of professionals that can diagnose individuals with ASD or the stigma associated with having an individual with ASD as part of your own family.
However, there is some research stating that these trends are changing and there is an increase in diagnosis in the eastern part of the world.
Critics also claim that there is an over-diagnosis of ASD in western countries such as Canada and the United States of America. Currently ASD has absorbed other diagnoses, such as Asperger’s disorder. The reason for over-diagnosis could be due to the diagnosis of ASD being expanded to include other disorders.
All of the tables in the post have been replicated from the websites below. If you would like more information on the history of ASD, please visit the following websites:
