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Diagnostic Systems for Autism and Pervasive Developmental Disabilities

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Handbook of Autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorder

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Abstract

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in social interaction and communication, as well as the presence of repetitive and restricted behaviors. There are currently no medical tests to aid in the diagnosis of ASD; instead it is based on purely behavioral presentations. As a result, changes to how ASD is defined can significantly impact the diagnostic process. Three organizations, the American Psychiatric Association (APA), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), provide classification systems for mental health conditions. While the diagnosis of psychiatric conditions and developmental disabilities may initially seem straightforward, each diagnostic system presents unique approaches and challenges to the classification of psychiatric disorders. The history, aims, strengths, and weaknesses of each classification system will be discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA

    Celeste Tevis, Johnny L. Matson & Megan Callahan

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  1. Celeste Tevis
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  2. Johnny L. Matson
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  3. Megan Callahan
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Correspondence to Celeste Tevis .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA

    Johnny L. Matson

  2. The Graduate Center and Queens College, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA

    Peter Sturmey

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Tevis, C., Matson, J.L., Callahan, M. (2022). Diagnostic Systems for Autism and Pervasive Developmental Disabilities. In: Matson, J.L., Sturmey, P. (eds) Handbook of Autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorder. Autism and Child Psychopathology Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-88538-0_10

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