Comparing symptoms of autism spectrum disorders using the current DSM-IV-TR diagnostic criteria and the proposed DSM-V diagnostic criteria

The American Psychiatric Association has proposed major revisions for the diagnostic category encompassing Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), which will reportedly increase the specificity and maintain the sensitivity of diagnoses. As a result, the aim of the current study was to compare symptoms of ASD in children and adolescents (N = 208) who met criteria for ASD according to only the DSM-IV-TR to those who met criteria according to the forthcoming version of the DSM and to those that were typically developing. Participants comprising the DSM-IV-TR and DSM-V groups did not score significantly different from each other on overall autism symptoms, but both groups scored significantly different from the control group. However significant differences emerged between the DSM-IV-TR and DSM-V groups in the core domain of nonverbal communication/socialization. Implications of the results and the proposed changes to the ASD diagnostic category are discussed.

► Major changes in how autism is defined and diagnosed will occur in DSM-V.
► This study provides an empirical comparison of DSM-IV-TR and DSM-V criteria.
► Children and adolescents on the autism spectrum decreased by 32.3% of DSM-V criteria.