Report Example: Assessment of Autism Based on DSM-IV

The diagnosis of autism occurs only after childhood for a known group of people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The same applies for high-functioning children with a mild or highly varied type of ASD, such as Aspergers disorder and developmental disorder, who are likely to experience delayed treatment (Hartley & Sikora, 2009). Diagnosis is difficult in this category of patients because of symptom overlap between ASD and various psychiatric disorders. Specifically, symptom overlap between psychiatric conditions, such hypersensitivity, Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder can result in treatment uncertainty.

The Diagnostic and Statistic Manual, 4th Edition (DSM-IV) is the key in the identification of diagnostic criteria for ASD, as it distinguishes between ADHD and hyper-active ASD among children, and commonly referred to as clinical ASD (Gadow et al., 2005).. The clinical diagnosis of ASD depends on the information gathered from checklists, assessments, observations, and standard interviews to inform clinical judgment (Geurts et al., 2007). Whereas the information is collected from multiple sources, parents are critical in clarifying the developmental history and present behavior of the child, which are a vital aspect for the determination of whether symptomatology is aligned with ASD or other psychiatric disorders. Semi-structured or structured interviews with parents are particularly centered on DSM diagnostic criteria for autism (Gillott et al., 2009).

In the criterion, dysfunction in social relatedness, including inability and disinterest in making friends, difficulty in communicating and repetitive patterns of movement among patients is evident. The distinction of parent-reported DSM-IV diagnostic criteria, which best differentiates older children with ASD based autism from those with ADHD is necessary to allow immediate and accurate treatment (Harrison, 2006). Theoretical convictions on etiology that direct intervention is informed subsequently by diagnosis and improvement of the process can be valuable in guaranteeing the administration of appropriate treatment.

References

Gadow KD, Devincent CJ, Pomeroy J, Azizian A. (2005). Comparison of DSM-IV Symptoms in Elementary School-Age Children with PDD versus Clinic and Community Samples. Autism. 9:392415.

Geurts HM, Verte S, Oosterlaan J, Roeyers H, Hartman CA, Mulder EJ, et al. (2007) Can the ldrens Communication Checklist Differentiate between Children with Autism, Children with ADHD, and Normal Controls? Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. 45:143753.

Gillott A, Furniss F, Walter A. (2009) Anxiety in High-Functioning Children with Autism. Autism. 5:27787.

Harrison P, Oakland R. (2006). Adaptive Behavior Assessment SystemSecond Edition (ABAS II) San Antonio, TX: Harcourt Assessment, Inc.

Hartley, S. L., & Sikora, D. M. (2009). Which DSM-IV-TR criteria best differentiate high-functioning autism spectrum disorder from ADHD and anxiety disorders in older children? Autism : The International Journal of Research and Practice, 13(5), 485509. http://doi.org/10.1177/1362361309335717