--- title: "Psych News Alert: Autism Spectrum Disorder Proposed for DSM-5 Would Cover Those With Asperger's" description: After much study, the DSM-5 Neurodevelopemental Disorders Work Group has concluded that there is no evidence to support continued separatio... image: https://alert.psychnews.org/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/autistic%20aboy_75904627-Jun-24-2025-04-16-48-0585-PM.jpg --- 1/20/12 12:00 AM # Autism Spectrum Disorder Proposed for DSM-5 Would Cover Those With Asperger's ![Picture of Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Psych%20News%20Email%20Banners/PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png?width=50&name=PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png) [ Psychiatric News Alert ](https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert) Share: [facebook-f icon ](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://alert.psychnews.org/2012/01/autism-spectrum-disorder-proposed-for.html) [linkedin-in icon ](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://alert.psychnews.org/2012/01/autism-spectrum-disorder-proposed-for.html) [Twitter icon ](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://alert.psychnews.org/2012/01/autism-spectrum-disorder-proposed-for.html) [pinterest-p icon ](http://pinterest.com/pin/create/link/?url=https://alert.psychnews.org/2012/01/autism-spectrum-disorder-proposed-for.html) [envelope icon ](mailto:?body=https://alert.psychnews.org/2012/01/autism-spectrum-disorder-proposed-for.html) [![](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/autistic%20aboy_75904627-Jun-24-2025-04-16-47-1124-PM.jpg?width=200&height=133&name=autistic%20aboy_75904627-Jun-24-2025-04-16-47-1124-PM.jpg)](https://alert.psychnews.org/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/autistic%20aboy_75904627-Jun-24-2025-04-16-46-1338-PM.jpg) After much study, the *DSM-5* Neurodevelopemental Disorders Work Group has concluded that there is no evidence to support continued separation of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnoses, Susan Swedo, M.D., the work group chair, told *Psychiatric News.* “That is why we’ll be recommending that *DSM-5* utilize a single diagnosis—ASD.” The move to a single diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder would eliminate Asperger’s disorder and pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified as separate diagnoses. They are included in *DSM-IV.* The possible elimination of Asperger’s has proven controversial, as evidenced by an article in the *New York Times* yesterday suggesting that the proposed change would narrow the definition and exclude people in need of a diagnosis and treatment. But in fact, adults or children diagnosed with Asperger’s according to *DSM-IV* criteria *would *meet criteria for autism spectrum disorder, with “specifiers” that help clinicians identify patients who have individual differences. Swedo explained that a major reason for the proposed change is that much research has indicated that there is little concordance among experts treating autism in how the *DSM-IV* criteria are applied: in other words, a child diagnosed with Asperger’s in one clinic would as likely be diagnosed with autism in another. “The improvement we are proposing for *DSM-5* is to have specifiers in place that allow us to identify for other clinicians the differences presented by individual patients.” Final decisions on *DSM-5’s* content are still months away. A comprehensive article on proposed changes to the chapter on neurodevelopmental disorders will appear in the February 3 issue of *[Psychiatric News](http://www.psychnews.org/)*. 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