Compare and contrast the IDEA definition of autism spectrum disorder and the American Psychiatric Association (APa. definition of autism spectrum disorder.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Ans: The 2004 amendments to IDEA define autism as follows:
• Autism means a developmental disability significantly affecting verbal and nonverbal communication and social interaction, usually evident before age three, that adversely affects a child’s educational performance. Other characteristics often associated with autism are engagement in repetitive activities and stereotyped movements, resistance to environmental change or change in daily routines, and unusual responses to sensory experiences.
• Autism does not apply if a child’s educational performance is adversely affected primarily because the child has an emotional disturbance.
• A child who manifests the characteristics of autism after age three could be diagnosed as having autism if the criteria above are satisfied.

The APA radically revised its thinking about autism spectrum disorders with the publication of the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) in 2013. The new terminology of choice is autism spectrum disorder, which is now characterized as a neurodevelopmental disorder rather than a pervasive developmental disorder. The new edition consolidates autistic disorder, Asperger disorder, and pervasive developmental disorder under the heading of autism spectrum disorder. The rationale for this change is that “these disorders represent a single continuum of mild to severe impairments in the two domains of social communication and restrictive/repetitive interests rather than being distinct disorders.”

The APA characterizes autism spectrum disorder as persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction across multiple contexts, including deficits in social reciprocity, nonverbal communicative behaviors used for social interaction, and skills for developing, maintaining, and understanding relationships. In addition to the social communication deficits, the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder requires the presence of restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities.