Do you anticipate to be ''undiagnosed'' by DSM 5?

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In my case, as far as ''social'' part of diagnosis I meet all three of the items DSM 5 lists. The only reason I will be ''undiagnosed'' is the ''repetitive routine'' part where they want me to have at least 2 symptoms and I have only 1. Under DSM 4 the ''repetitive routine'' only requires 1 symptom and thats why I meet DSM 4 criteria and not DSM 5. But how about you guys?

WARNING In order not to skew the results of the poll, it is important to remember that DSM 4 always refers to Asperger rather than autism. In other words, I am comparing DSM 4 version of Asperger to DSM 5 version of autism. As you might guess this is motivated by the fact that my own DSM 4 diagnosis is Asperger.

I meet both for both DSM 4 and 5.

I was already informed by my neuropsychiatrist that I'll fit DSM-V.

the psychologists that did my evaluation agree I meet both criteria and so does my son.

Both for both, bot repetitive behavior is borderline for both...

I don't actually think people will become 'undiagnosed.' I don't even think my country will be affected. And it's not going to be an over night thing, it'll probably take another 5-10 years for things to completely change.

Dr Lord, who is working on the DSM V, says that the changing criteria is to make sure those with AS can get more services that they otherwise wouldn't get on because it was only applicable to people with an autism diagnosis.

I fit the criteria for both Asperger's in the DSM 4 and Autism in the DSM 5.

The poll results are very surprising, considering that one study shows that MOST ppl will get undiagnosed (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/3 ... 41495.html):

Also since the IQ range of that study was ''50 and higher'' this implies that at least some of the ppl studied were low functioning. So its pretty weird that low functioning ppl get undiagnosed while high functioning people on Wrong Planet do not. Either ppl on Wrong Planet are biased against being undiagnosed, or else there might be some ''inverse correlation'' in that people with higher IQ get more pronounced symptoms?

Possibly?

First thought I had is that the population of WP and specifically the people who had interest in answering the poll might merely represent a certain group of the autistic population studied in the scientific sample which would be one of possibly several more factors that greatly alter the results of the poll in comparison to the study's results.

The difference in age could have an effect too depending on the influence of age on the expression of autistic symptoms and the stabilisation of autistic behaviours/"habits".

Talking of age, another question would be whether common co-morbids (those developed later in life as well as those of childhood) influence the severity and the intensity of expressions of autistic behaviours that are recognised in the criteria and therefore relevant for diagnosis and whether this affects the results here.

The fourth point that immediately came to my mind before I have now forgotten. Unmedicated ADHD fun.

I think that children on the "high-functioning" and "low-functioning" ends of the spectrum can be undiagnosed for different reasons.

Children on the HF end may be undiagnosed because they don't have enough social and communication impairments, a.k.a. they have too many NT behaviors, or they don't have enough restricted and repetitive behaviors, a.k.a. they don't have enough autistic behaviors, or both.

Children on the LF end are likely to have severe social and communication impairments, but they may be undiagnosed if they don't have enough restricted and repetitive behaviors. On the LF end, other conditions such as global developmental delay can be mistaken for autism, in which case there could be severe social and communication impairments without significant levels of restricted and repetitive, or autistic, behaviors. Social and communication impairments, I consider to be a lack of NT cognition and behaviors, and restricted and repetitive behaviors, I consider to be moar fundamentally autistic behaviors indicating autistic cognition, and both are required for a diagnosis of autism.

This.

By the time I finish reading through the poll choices a cure for autism will be found.

A poll on WP will never reflect what actually happens in a clinical setting.

omg, dude, decaf diet coke spewed from my nostrils onto my keyboard when i read that.



(WARNING -- Insanity Rant):

why am i always the odd (wo)man out?! -- my iq has been officially tested numerous times and is well within the superior range (dang, not a genius, like many of you). yet, so far, i'm the only one who selected "DSM 4: neither; DSM 5: neither." doctor after doctor has said that aside from my (severe) "Hyper or hypo-reactivity to sensory input," i don't fit the criteria for ASD (nor Asperger's) at all...yet, i beg to differ -- it really all depends on how you look at it:

(DSM-V ASD criteria) A1. "Deficits in social-emotional reciprocity...failure of normal back and forth conversation through reduced sharing of interests, emotions, and affect and response..." --

oh yeah, that's me. but, since i am seemingly outgoing, friendly, and well-adjusted socially (translation: i look and act very "normal" to them), doctors say i'm "over-analyzing" my situation. i say they are *under*-analyzing it --

the reason i seem so "normal" is simple: it's because i'm talking to them one on one about the very problems i try to hide, vs say, sitting at a table with a group of my peers at a luncheon, where it is expected that you be enthusiastically socializing (aka competing for admiration -- blech)...then again, i'd probably still come off as "normal" in such a situation. yet, i'd be freaking out *in my mind* the entire time...why? because i have ASD.

i'm just not *able* to be as *genuinely* enthusiastic about the vast majority of things that make most NT's jump for joy, nor have i ever been interested in bragging about my successes in life, in which i actually have had a fair amount of (per NT standards), but i don't feel the need to tell the world about them, for some reason (ASD). i think of myself as a bit of a "Scrooge meets Eeyore" mindset...notice i said *mindset* -- when i am forced to socialize (can't get out of situation without embarrassment), i don't let others know of my displeasure with their topics, and i listen to THEIR bragging marathons with fake (but believable) interest, as i don't want to come off as rude...i wish i didn't have said mindset, but i do...why? because i have ASD.

A2. "Deficits in nonverbal communicative behaviors used for social interaction...poorly integrated-verbal and nonverbal communication...abnormalities in eye contact and body-language, or deficits in understanding and use of nonverbal communication..." --

for instance, it takes me a split second longer to think through what i want to say, which makes it difficult for me to tell a story from beginning to end without screwing it up or forgetting what the heck i'm talking about; which in turn, makes me a nervous wreck and causes me to avoid most social situations. doctors say "that's anxiety." -- ok, they're right -- it IS anxiety. but what is *causing* the anxiety? -- my ASD, that's what.

A3. "Deficits in developing and maintaining relationships..." --

i found it difficult to develop and maintain friendships as a child and it's even worse as an adult -- people accept me, but i can't handle socializing with more than one person at a time, and that always enters into the equation sooner or later, in which i avoid at all costs -- yes, because again, it makes me anxious...but *why* does it make me anxious? well, it's certainly not "simply because of a lack of self-confidence," as my doctors would say. ok, sure, i DO lack self-confidence...but what is the *cause* of my lack of self-confidence? -- yep, my ASD.

B2. "Excessive...resistance to change (such as...extreme distress at small changes) --

my doctors would say i'm just "inflexible." -- baloney (i like spelling it that way). ok, maybe i am inflexible...but WHY? because i have ASD, people.

so, see, if i were my own medical evaluator, i'd definitely fit the bill...i guess it doesn't matter. i mean, it's not like i'm trying to get them to dx me with something for my own personal gain -- i already did that years ago (sarc): i've been on SSD for nearly 15 years, after one hell of a long fight with the system...but even so, i'm peev'd -- as the dx they used? -- "Panic Disorder" -- now that's TOTALLY incorrect. i don't have panic attacks "out of the blue," thinking "i'm going to die." ok, i do have panic attacks out of the blue -- but only in *social* situations, and i'm horrifically worried that someone is going to be able to detect my panic attack symptoms (which has happened a few times), which is why i avoid social encounters like the plague...okay, so that would be, by most accounts, social anxiety disorder with avoidance behaviors...*however*, even that label is really incorrect, as the REASON i have anxiety in social situations is because -- yep, because i have ASD, damn it.

there, i'm off my soapbox. you're welcome.

(did any of that make any sense whatsoever? if not, i apologize...of course, i can't use my ASD as an excuse, because officially, i don't have ASD...no, i must be just having an off day.)




PS -- if you actually read this far (congrats!), here's some additional info you don't care about that you may already know: not only does one of my siblings display the exact same symptoms, so do several of my nieces and nephews...but, perhaps even more shockingly, my own child was actually dx'd with ASD (Asperger's, NLD, and/or PDD-NOS, depending on which doctor you ask)...where did he get it from? Walmart? oh, and i also have many of the common co-morbid characteristics/conditions of those with ASD, including moderate to severe problems with: spatial awareness, balance, coordination, math, handwriting, time management, organization, memory, ...hmm, i forgot the rest (seriously, lol)....heck, this dissertation itself should be proof enough that i have ASD...what "normal" person would ever bother writing all this crap?

Well clearly I fit the criteria from DSM-IV. (My official diagnosis is NLD, not Asperger's, but I have been told by a professional that I could have an Asperger's diagnosis if it would be useful in any way that an NLD wouldn't.) I think I fit enough criteria for DSM-V as well, but some of them I feel like I have fit them in the past but don't anymore. For example, I had echolalia when I was younger, but I don't anymore (I stim though, is that what they mean by stereotyped or repetitive motor movements?), and I feel like I haven't had a highly restricted, fixated interest in quite a while, although I would be surprised if I never had one ever again.

What does your IQ have to do with your reasons for selecting neither for both DSM-IV and DSM-5?

Many of us have already been diagnosed under the DSM-IV, so logically we meet the criteria for that. The DSM-5 criteria seem a bit murkier as the strict descriptions seem to fit but studies seem to find that a lot of autistic people don't meet the criteria - which is not the stated intent of the group that proposed the revised criteria.