What do you think of the recommended new DSM?

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I like the idea of a spectral disorder. For example, my cousin and I have both been diagnosed with AS. I would be "mild" on the scale and she would be "moderate", even though we have the same DSM-IV diagnosis.

Some qualms: what is a routine? It doesn't seem to mention nonfunctional routines. (Or, should I say, seemingly nonfunctional routines) The DSM is biased towards finding faults with people. It is true that ASD often can be disabling and, in milder cases, merely requires accommodation and coaching to alleviate deficits. In alleviating deficits, a person can move to a milder diagnosis, but is that a true description? It also seems to beg the question as to what autism consists of. It only relies on easily observed symptoms. It does not address root causes, like lack of empathy. It also ignores other dimensions of autism: poor imagination and communication difficulties.

Still, this is a good start.

I think it is a great idea. 2012 isnt soon enough, as my psychologist uss the dsm for diagnosis and it would be great if these changes were already in place.

Well, I think it says about the same about your ASD if you have nonfunctional (i.e., stress-reducing) routines, as if you can't get certain things done without your routines. The dependency on routines is there either way.

I like the idea of grouping all the ASD under one diagnosis. It makes sense.

I'm wondering what will happen to the people diagnosed with Aspergers (like me) or PDD-NOS. Will they have to be re-evaluated to see where they are on the scale?

I'd IMO be severe since my behavior has landed me in big trouble on a social level. I also hate being pulled from a ritiual (in my case videogames I get really irritated) Also the Social aspect IMO I see it as beyond family and more along the lines of having RL friends going out with others etc. IMO family kind of doesn't count. So IMO I'd fit Severe.

Most likely they will dump us into the "Mild" box if we can live independently, or are younger than about 25, living with parents, and taking care of our own basic needs. Anyone older than that who cannot live independently will probably get put in "Moderate". People living with spouses may be a special case, though, since that is often easier than living on your own, depending on whether you have more trouble with social interaction or with ADLs.

This is an oversight, in my mind, because there are more factors to how independent you are than the strength of your ASD traits; one can have quite strong traits and be independent if there are no other complicating factors, whereas one can have only mild ASD traits and still require a great deal of help. Again back to the "functioning level" dilemma: Not only does IQ not predict it, but strength of ASD traits does not, either. There is only a general tendency that is not predictive of any specific case.

It will be interesting to see how they re-categorize the young children, though. Before about nine or ten years old, you can't even tell whether they will be verbal in adulthood; before five, you can't tell whether they will be completely independent or require round the clock assistance. We are unpredictable like that.

To add, it's worth it to me to remove the label Asperger's so people will stop using the term "aspie".

God I hate that term.

Well...I dislike change. But let them do whatever they want---but I will always be an Aspie. It's just a name---and they can't take that away from us. For those of us who want to retain our Asperger's name---let us keep it. Even if they change it, they can't stop us from using it. That is the name they gave us in the clinic when we got diagnosed---so let's keep using it whenever this change happens. But for those of you who no longer want to be Asperger's---then you are more than welcome to use the new label. Even if the Asperger's label is done away with---the world will not forget that name---and we can still use it.

Interesting point. There are plenty here who call themselves Aspies who were diagnosed with PDD-NOS. Being a "nosie" just isn't as catchy.

Autie or Autistic works. They're always going to use the term "autism", even if they call it "pervasive developmental disorder", because "autism" is less of a mouthful!

Besides, if they merge the spectrum, newer diagnosed people aren't going to know whether they would have been diagnosed with asperger's under the old system anyway.

Some thoughts,

Obviously, the subclinical manifestation and normal variant are there for people who go to a psycho or psychic and have ASD symptoms, but are subthreshold in severity and number of symptoms. I'm betting this will be called ASD-NOS, where the clinical manifestations will just be ASD.

It also appears they're going with Wing's three areas of severity based on social behaviour, which is aloof, passive and odd/eccentric (these can change over a person's life, so you could start off with severe and move to moderate severe or less severe, or you could stay the same your whole life). This has decent accuracy in regards to symptom manifestation and symptom severity (including the repetitive behaviours). She is after all, the person who started the "spectrum" to begin with.

From the perspective of public perception, I think the term Aspergers syndrome trivializes the disability, I think the term Autistic trivializes the worth of the individual. I have come to realize that I am AS, and that is sooooo autistic.

What this means ("ADLs")?

I would appreciate the Aspergers term leaving. Either people don't know what it is, or they believe I'm some genius that is just awkward or something. They have no idea how severely I'm impaired by it, and its almost as bad as them assuming I'm NT. Yes, I am dx'd with Asperger's. No, I'm not good with numbers, I can't paint, I'm not a genius, I have a horrible memory ESPECIALLY my visual memory, I struggle to get good grades, and I'm not especially "talented" in much of anything.

And no, I'm not lying.

The same thing happens to me. I get told I'm more intelligent than average or that I'm completely lacking in intelligence, both extremes. Implying someone is a genius because they have a specific disorder distracts from the obvious impairments that interfer with using the intellect. If I were a genius I would be more successful than I am. A lot of times I'll have something memorized, either mentally or kinetically that I could recite and do in my sleep and suddenly, it's like, I never learned it. It just disappears and I can't retrieve the information under duress and there goes all my genius and suddenly I am reduced to a know nothing.

@Ana, I also have that thing where I can go all out to learn something and practice it like a crazy person, and it can just disappear into nowhere.