How will DSM-V changes affect you?
February 24, 2010 by Leslie E. Packer PhD
Filed under Commentary
The DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual) is a product of the American Psychiatric Association that provides diagnostic criteria for mental health disorders. The APA is currently in the process of revising the DSM and has published its proposed recommendations for review and feedback. The proposed changes include changes to Tourette’s Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Asperger’s Disorder, and many other disorders. Two of the most controversial proposals concern creating a new childhood-onset diagnosis, Temper Dysregulation Disorder with Dysphoria (TDD) and eliminating the diagnosis of Asperger’s Disorder.
Diagnostic criteria affect the diagnosis you, your child, or family member will have. They may affect your insurance coverage, and they may impact the types of accommodations or services your child gets in school or that you can access in the workplace.
I will be posting more about the proposed changes in the weeks and months to come, with separate posts devoted to each proposed change of concern.
If you would like to read the proposed changes, the DSM-V has its own web site. In future posts, I will provide links to particular sections that may be of interest or concern to parents, educators, and clinicians.
