Vol.4, No.1, 2013
IN THIS ISSUE
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DSM-5
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SEAVER ON THE WEB
DISTINGUISHED LECTURER SERIES
SEAVER ATHLETES
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FRAGILE X SYNDROME INFORMATION SESSION RECENT PUBLICATIONS
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SAVE THE DATE NEW GRANT AWARDS
Upcoming New Edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5)
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he DSM-5 revisions collapse the DSMIV subtypes of Pervasive Developmental Disorder into a single unifying DSM-5 diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Specifically, this means that the DSM-IV diagnoses of Autistic Disorder, Asperger’s Disorder, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, Rett’s Disorder, and Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Not Otherwise Specified, will not be in the DSM-5. Additionally, the revisions combine delays or deviation in social and communicative functioning into a single category, alongside another category for repetitive restricted behaviors. This change reflects an effort to improve the diagnostic accuracy of clinicians and researchers. Indeed, the first DSM-5 field trials published in
November 2012 indicate significant consistency in the way different clinicians use the new criteria when diagnosing children with ASD. However, many people continue to express concern that significant numbers of those who meet criteria for one of the DSM-IV subtypes of PDD will not meet criteria for the new DSM-5 ASD. A recent study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry applies the DSM-5 criteria to datasets from several thousand children who previously were classified as having ASD under the DSM-IV criteria. Findings indicate that the new criteria do not miss the diagnosis in a significant number of children. This retrospective study will be followed by field trials that will comprehensively test out the new criteria on children and adults.
Distinguished Lecturer Series On Wednesday, March 6, 2013, the Seaver Autism Center hosted the Distinguished Lecturer Series. Dr. Joseph Piven, Sarah Graham Kenan Professor of Psychiatry, Pediatrics and Psychology, and Director of the Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, was the second presenter in this series. Dr. Piven’s lecture, “The Emergence of Brain and Behavior Characteristics in Autism during Infancy,” was intriguing for community members and professionals alike. After the lecture, audience members had the opportunity to mingle and ask questions about Dr. Piven’s research findings. Stay tuned for lecture announcements later this year! Dr. Joseph Piven presenting at the Distinguished Lecturer Series.
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