DSM Central |  | |
|
TAKE ME DIRECTLY TO THE COMMENTS PAGE. Mail this page to a friend If you are not already on our mailing list, click here so you receive our DSM updates and other news. If you are not already a member and want to support our work on the DSM, click here to join.
SENSORY PROCESSING DISORDER STILL IN THE RUNNING! Preliminary draft revisions to the current diagnostic criteria for psychiatric diagnoses have been released for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual Ð 5th Edition (DSM-5). The DSM is the source for diagnoses of mental health disorders and many developmental disorders. The American Psychiatric Association (APA), which publishes the DSM, has also identified several disorders still under consideration for diagnostic recognition. Sensory Processing Disorder is among the conditions still under consideration! A final decision about recognizing any of these conditions will be made after assessment of evidence supporting their inclusion in DSM-5 is completed. This assessment includes consideration of public comments about recognizing Sensory Processing Disorder. The Sensory Processing Disorder Foundation has developed suggestions for commenting on the DSM-5 in ways that most directly speak to the APA's criteria for recognition. Click here to visit our comment page. The public has until April 20 to respond to the draft. We believe a coordinated response by supporters of recognition for Sensory Processing Disorder will give the APA the most relevant and persuasive information possible. YOU WILL HAVE TO REGISTER WITH THE APA SITE IN ORDER TO COMMENT. Instructions are provided on our comment page. There are several steps, but they only take a minute or two and can make a difference. The comment page also includes suggestions for parents, teachers, international observers, physicians, occupational therapists and other allied health professionals, including psychologists. Click here for instructions for registering to comment on the DSM-5 and suggested topics.
We know many of you are interested in Autism Spectrum Disorder and Asperger's Disorder also. Here is the official word regarding those conditions: A single diagnostic category, "autism spectrum disorders" that will incorporate the current diagnoses of autistic disorder, Asperger's disorder, childhood disintegrative disorder, and pervasive developmental disorder (not otherwise specified). The American Psychiatric Association provided the following explanation for the above: The recommended DSM-5 draft criteria for autism spectrum disorders include a new assessment of symptom severity related to the individual's degree of impairment. The draft criteria also specify deficits in two categories: 1) social interaction and communication (e.g., maintaining eye-to-eye gaze, ability to sustain a conversation and peer-relations) and 2) the presence of repetitive behaviors and fixated interests and behaviors. Additionally, in recognition of the neurodevelopmental nature of the disorder, the criteria require that symptoms begin in early childhood. Clinicians must take into account an individual's age, stage of development, intellectual abilities and language level in making a diagnosis. "The recommendation of a new category of autism spectrum disorders reflects recognition by the work group that the symptoms of these disorders represent a continuum from mild to severe, rather than being distinct disorders," said Dr. Cook. In addition to specifying a range of severity of ASD, the criteria will include description of the individual's overall development, course (e.g. regression), and language. "We expect that the proposed changes will improve the sensitivity and specificity of the criteria for autism spectrum disorders, so that clinicians may be able to more accurately diagnose these disorders." DSM-5 initiative - summaryThe American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, currently in its 4th edition and often called simply DSM-IV, is the standard diagnostic tool used by mental health professionals worldwide to promote reliable research, accurate diagnosis, and appropriate treatment of cognitive and mental health conditions. Currently, Sensory Processing Disorder is not included in the DSM. This absence limits awareness of SPD, contributes to the misdiagnosis and inappropriate therapeutic treatment of children, and reduces funding for research. Insurance companies often rely upon the DSM-IV diagnoses and may not cover treatment of SPD because it is not listed in the DSM. Since 2000, the SPD Foundation has spearheaded an intense campaign for recognition of Sensory Processing Disorder in the revised DSM-5, which will be published in 2013. The SPDF has invested heavily in research and has facilitated complementary studies at premier research institutions across the country and internationally. In January 2007, the SPD Foundation submitted its first-stage application to the DSM-5 committee of the American Psychiatric Association. Because we completed or published so much additional research in 2007, we prepared and submitted a supplement to our original application in March 2008. This assured that the DSM committee members have the most current data before them as they deliberate. In April 2008, we received a lengthy and extremely detailed letter from the chair of the DSM committee. In it, he indicated a significant number of additional studies we needed to submit before SPD could be recognized. We began those studies immediately. At the same time, we remained in close communication with the DSM committee. In June 2009, we received word that SPD is "on the list" of "novel diagnostic entities" being considered for the DSM-5. We also were informed that field trials for new diagnoses under consideration would begin in August 2009, five months earlier than we anticipated. We submitted additional requested data by that deadline. There are two ways you can support this crucial effort benefiting children and families living with SPD worldwide:
| ||
 |
 |
|
|
|