AspieSaurus

In 2012, the American Psychiatric Association may be doing away with the diagnosis of Asperger's Syndrome from the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders). Pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS) may be removed from the next edition of the DSM as well.

The proposed changes to the manual are meant to eliminate the different labels associated with autism spectrum disorders, and instead focus on the severity of a person's autism, with labels such as "most severe" and "less severe."

Some reasons the APA cites for combining all forms of autism into one broad diagnostic category are that a single spectrum is more reflective of the symptoms of autism, the separation of different conditions within the autism spectrum is inconsistent and variable, and that individuals are already often diagnosed by the severity of their symptoms rather than with a specific condition.

Some possible problems with this proposed plan to remove the diagnosis of Asperger's is that it may discourage some people from seeking a diagnosis, as some more high functioning individuals who would otherwise be diagnosed with Asperger's may not want the label of autism. It may also complicate the decisions regarding who gets government benefits, as some states will provide benefits for autism, but not for AS.

I don't really have an opinion about this either way. I don't really see Asperger's as any less stigmatizing than autism, and I don't think that this plan would really deter anyone from seeking a diagnosis. If someone's symptoms are severe enough that the really see benefits from getting a diagnosis, they shouldn't care what that diagnosis is. And as far as government benefits go, this could possibly help more people get help from the government. Of course, they could always say that only those with more severe symptoms get benefits.

The APA will also solicit feedback from the general public before any final decisions are made.

Source: No More Asperger’s Syndrome? | Psychology Today