Topic 2: Diagnostic Criteria

The fifth edition of the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-5™) specifies the five diagnostic criteria for diagnosis. All five criteria must be met in order to receive an Autism Spectrum Disorder diagnosis. They are listed below:

• Persistent deficits in social communication and interaction across multiple contexts. This can include an inability to have a back-and-forth conversation, not sharing interests, not beginning or responding to normal social interactions, difficulty with eye contact, gestures and body language, and having difficulties making and/or sustaining friendships.

• Restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities. This can include using repetitive words or having repetitive movements, an insistence on routines, fixated interests, attachment to particular object(s), and sensory problems, like to sounds or textures.

• Symptoms must be present in early developmental period. Although these symptoms have to be present, they may not become significant until the social demands on the individual exceeds their ability. In older people, some symptoms may be hidden by learned coping strategies.

• Symptoms must cause clinically significant impairment. These symptoms must affect a person's day-to-day ability to function socially, occupationally, or in other areas of their life.

• Symptoms must not be better explained by intellectual disability or global developmental delay. Although intellectual disabilities and autism frequently co-occur, they should not be confused for each other.

Until the DSM-5™ replaced the DSM-IV®-TR in 2013, Autism Spectrum Disorder was listed as several separate diagnoses. These were autistic disorder, Asperger's disorder, or pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS). If someone was diagnosed with autistic disorder, Asperger's, or PDD-NOS under these guidelines, they may choose to continue to use that diagnostic term.

References

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Association.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2015). Signs and symptoms: Autism Spectrum Disorder. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/signs.html.