Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5)

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), published by the American Psychiatric Association (APA), is considered the standard classification of mental disorders used by mental health professionals in the United States. The APA is currently revising the publication and many of the changes have sparked controversy among people with disabilities and advocates who are particularly concerned with the changes to the definitions for autism, intellectual disabilities and other diagnoses related to developmental disabilities.

The following are articles and position statements about the proposed changes. The final version of the DSM-5 is expected to be published in May 2013. For more information, see the APA website: DSM-5: The Future of Psychiatric Diagnosis

Position statements

The following are position statements about concerns with proposed changes to the definition of a specific diagnosis category.

• The Arc: Intellectual Developmental Disorder definition
• Jo Ann Simon, Attorney at Law: Dyslexia definition

News articles

• New mental health manual is "dangerous" say experts (Reuters, February 9, 2012)
• Redefining Autism: Will New DSM-5 Criteria for ASD Exclude Some People? (Scientific American, January 30, 2012)
• Not Diseases, but Categories of Suffering (New York Times Op Ed, January 29, 2012)
• Grief Could Join List of Disorders (New York Times, January 24, 2012)
• DSM-5 Proposed Criteria for Autism Spectrum Disorder Designed to Provide More Accurate Diagnosis and Treatment (PDF file) (APA, January 20, 2012)
• New Definition of Autism Will Exclude Many, Study Suggests (New York Times, January 19, 2012)

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