In the Nov. 9 New York Times, there is an interesting column by autism expert Simon Baron-Cohen about the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), including a discussion by its editors about whether to remove Asperger syndrome from the forthcoming fifth edition.
Baron-Cohen touches on some of the same points made in Cerebrum’s recent look at the DSM update. The complementary articles, one by DSM editors, the other by psychiatrist Paul R. McHugh, suggest how the revision might bring more certainty to diagnoses and why looking at disorders’ causes—not just their symptoms, as is the case now—is important.
The DSM update is scheduled for publication in 2012, and many important discussions about it lie ahead. Stay tuned.
-Dan Gordon
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