In this paper we review the impact of DSM-III and its successors on the field of autism--both in terms of clinical work and research. We summarize the events leading up to the inclusion of autism as a "new" official diagnostic category in DSM-III, the subsequent revisions of the DSM, and the impact of the official recognition of autism…

Two semi-structured parental interviews are available with algorithms developed to measure DSM-5 criteria of ASD, namely the Developmental, Dimensional and Diagnostic Interview (3di) and the Diagnostic Interview for Social and Communication Disorders (DISCO-11). The main aim of this study was to examine the agreement between classification…

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) demonstrate delayed and atypical communication development. These deficits constitute a core criterion for the diagnosis of ASD, though information regarding gestural communication in toddlers with ASD remains limited. The present investigation implemented a robust gesture classification system in order…

This study examines the psychometric properties of the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) in the context of DSM-5 in a sample of Chinese children. Using re-mapped ADI-R items and algorithms matched to DSM-5 criteria, and administering to children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) with and without intellectual disability,…

Our study examines the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual--Fifth Edition (DSM-5) and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual--Fourth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR) when applied concurrently against the best estimate clinical diagnoses for 110 children (5.1-19.6 years old) referred for diagnostic assessments of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in a…

The aim of the present study was to establish diagnostic validity of the new algorithm of the Autism Diagnostic Observation Scale, the ADOS-2, to differentiate between ASD and other clinically relevant psychiatric and developmental disorders in a large German sample. Validity of ADOS and ADOS-2 diagnostic algorithms was established in 826…

It seems that many parents have concerns about their child's current mental health and more broadly about their development and what kind of potential they have at school and beyond. In Neil Humphrey's article, "Are the Kids Alright? Examining the Intersection between Education and Mental Health," Humphrey offers some promising points of…

Research continues to highlight discrepancies between clinical diagnoses of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and determination of special education eligibility for services within school settings. However, limited research has been conducted on the impact of those discrepancies for the identification of appropriate services within schools. The aim…

Insomnia subtypes have not been characterized in severely affected youth with autism spectrum disorder. We examined indices of clinical impairment (i.e. length of hospital stay, autism severity, nonverbal intelligence quotient, and adaptive and maladaptive behaviors) across insomnia subtypes in 427 psychiatrically hospitalized children with autism…

Purpose: No diagnostic tools exist for identifying social (pragmatic) communication disorder (SPCD), a new "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition" category for individuals with social communication deficits but not the repetitive, restricted behaviors and interests (RRBIs) that would qualify them for a…

Introduction of the National Institute of Mental Health's Research Domain Criteria and revision of diagnostic classification for Autism Spectrum Disorder in the latest diagnostic manual call for a new way of conceptualizing heterogeneous ASD features. We propose a novel conceptualization of ASD, borrowing from the schizophrenia literature in…

Social-emotional behavior in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) was examined among high-risk (HR; siblings of children diagnosed with ASD) and low-risk (LR; no family history of ASD) toddlers. Caregivers completed the Infant-Toddler Social Emotional Assessment (ITSEA) at 18 months, and blind diagnostic assessment for ASD was conducted at 36 months.…

A number of changes were made to pervasive developmental disorders (PDDs) in the recently released diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (APA, "Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders," American Psychiatric Publishing, Arlington, VA, 2013). Of the 210 participants in the present study who met DSM-IV-TR…

Changes to the DSM-5 Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) criteria raised concerns among parents and practitioners that the criteria may exclude some children with Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD). Few studies have examined DSM-5 sensitivity and specificity in children less than 5 years of age. This study evaluated 185 children aged 20-55 months…

The PDD Behavior Inventory (PDDBI) has recently been shown, in a large multisite study, to discriminate well between autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other groups when its scores were examined using a machine learning tool, Classification and Regression Trees (CART). Discrimination was good for toddlers, preschoolers, and school-age children;…