Update Jun. 15/17: Updated all links to Unstrange Mind’s new website.

And we’re back again with Unstrange Mind, who is doing all of us the favour of going through the DSM-5 Autism Spectrum Disorder diagnostic criteria, and analysing it in terms of what it means both for those who are already diagnosed (even though we’re grandfathered in), and those who will be looking for a diagnosis. (Note: Frankly, based on her analysis and just what the criteria says, I fit even better in the ASD diagnosis than I did in Asperger’s! I may have said that before, but it bears repeating.)

Her analysis is not yet finished, but (as mentioned in the top note), I will continue to update as it progresses. However, I thought it was important enough that I want to start getting it out now.

Here we go:

• Autism and the DSM-5: Losing Your Diagnosis?: An explanation of the coming posts, and the fact that you don’t lose your diagnosis with the new criteria.
• Autism and the DSM-5: Diagnostic Criteria (Section A): Section A covers deficits in social communication and interaction.
• Autism and the DSM-5: Diagnostic Criteria (Section B): Section B covers restricted and repetitive patterns of behaviour (including interests).
• Autism and the DSM-5: Diagnostic Criteria (Section C): Section C covers the timing of symptoms. U.M. considers this section huge, because it recognizes that symptoms may appear different at different stages in life.
• Autism and the DSM-5: Diagnostic Criteria (Section D): Section D looks at how much of an impairment in daily living the symptoms cause.
• Autism and the DSM-5: Diagnostic Criteria (Section E and Severity Levels): Section E looks at other possibilities for the symptoms; severity levels are ways to measure the current severity of the symptoms in sections A & B (and they are to be measured separately, and are listed as fluid, potentially changing back and forth over time). Severity levels replace the “high functioning” and “low functioning” labels, which I suspect pleases a lot of my fellow autistics. It certainly pleases U.M. She has also posted the contents of “Table 2”, which lists the criteria for the severity levels.
• DSM-5 and Autism: Development and Course (Part 1): The first paragraph in the commentary section about the development and course of autism (there are seven, each one will be covered in an individual post).
• DSM-5 and Autism: Development and Course (Part 2): The second paragraph in the commentary section, this one concentrates on “regression” – which isn’t necessarily the preferred term, but is the one used by the DSM. U.M. illustrates this issue with some personal examples.
• DSM-5 and Autism: Development and Course (Part 3): The third paragraph in the commentary section concentrates on first signs of autism; U.M. again illustrates this issue with personal examples (making it real for people).
• DSM-5 and Autism: Development and Course (Part 4): The fourth paragraph continues the early signs of autism, referencing deafness and the fact that allistic children show some of the same repetitive and restrictive behaviours as are typical of autism, but not to quite the same extent (“[t]he clinical distinction is based on the type, frequency, and intensity of the behavior”).

More to follow as they are posted. This is a highly recommended set of posts, and I encourage everyone who has any interest in ASD and what the criteria is to read them.