Learning Disabilities are in and Asperger's Syndrome is Out: Big Changes for the DSM-5

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by Merely Me
Monday, February 15, 2010

In May of 2013 the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders will include many revisions for its fifth edition, the DSM-5.  You can view all of the proposed draft revisions to the DSM disorders and criteria by going to the American Psychiatric Association web site.  There, you will be able to submit your comments on these proposed changes until April 20, 2010.  After this time, they report that the site will be available for viewing only.

There are some surprises in store for anyone who has a child with learning disabilities and/or a child who is on the autism spectrum.

First of all there is a proposed change that childhood disorders, not currently listed in the DSM-IV, include Learning Disabilities.  This is a big change in that this term was not used previously as a formal diagnostic label, nor was it included in the prior manual.  The DSM-IV formerly used the term "Learning Disorder" to describe what we now commonly call Learning Disabilities.  

Using the term, disability, instead of disorder could have far reaching implications for how learning disabilities are diagnosed and viewed in the public eye. My biggest question is does this change in terminology effect how treatment is subsidized?  We do not know at this time how this change in classification will impact upon everyday life for those who have learning disabilities.

Under the proposed changes some former diagnostic labels for learning disorders will be "subsumed Under Other Diagnoses (No DSM-5 Criteria Proposed)."   These proposed changes include:

• The Disorder of Written Expression will now be diagnosed as a Learning Disability.

• Learning Disorders Not Otherwise Specified will also be diagnosed as a Learning Disability.

Here is the proposed criteria for being diagnosed with a Learning Disability as stated on the American Psychiatric Association DSM-5 Development page: 

"Learning Disabilities
A.    A group of disorders characterized by difficulties in learning basic academic skills (currently or by history), that are not consistent with the person's chronological age, educational opportunities, or intellectual abilities. Basic academic skills refer to accurate and fluent reading, writing, and arithmetic.
 
Multiple sources of information are to be used to assess learning, one of which must be an individually administered, culturally appropriate, and psychometrically sound standardized measure of academic achievement.
 
B.    The disturbance in criterion A, without accommodations, significantly interferes with academic achievement or activities of daily living that require these academic skills."



If you have a child who has an autism spectrum disorder and especially Asperger's Syndrome, you are going to be in for a shock.  The revised manual is said to exclude Asperger's Syndrome as an official diagnostic classification. 

Here are some of the proposed changes to how autistic disorders are going to be reclassified: