Stricter Autism Criteria Unlikely To Reduce Services For Kids : Shots - Health News : NPR

"The clinical definition for when a child has some form of autism has been tightened. And these narrower criteria for probably will reduce the number of kids who meet the new standard."

Why? What was the impetus for this?

"Results from published last week found that about 19 percent of 8-year-olds previously classified as having an ASD didn't meet the updated criteria from the latest edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or . The results suggest the that 1 in 88 children has an autism spectrum disorder could be reduced to 1 in 100."

And what effect will this have the children and families that no longer "meet the updated criteria?"

DSM-5 eliminates for problems like Asperger's. It also changes the way specific symptoms are used to reach a diagnosis.

The study findings have got some advocacy groups worried that children will lose care and support services. "This raises serious concerns," says a statement from Rob Ring on the website. The group says it has found examples of children losing autism services because their diagnosis was changed.

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So even if the government lowers its estimate of children with an autism spectrum disorder, Grinker says, there could still be an increase in number of kids across the country who receive an autism diagnosis from a local clinician.

The new study confirms that "the overwhelming majority" of children diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder under the old criteria will also meet the new criteria, says pediatrician of the University of Rochester.

And the new criteria may actually help some kids qualify for additional services because DSM-5 no longer prohibit clinicians from adding problems such as ADHD to an autism diagnosis, Hyman says.

But "the jury is out on the DSM-5," Hyman says. "It might be more accurate. It might just be different."

Stricter Autism Criteria Unlikely To Reduce Services For Kids : Shots - Health News : NPR