A major research institution has called for a new classification of 'profound autism' to differentiate between those who are non-functional and those who are highly functional. Here's what that could accomplish, writes AmySFLutz
calling for a “distinct, stand-alone diagnostic category” for the most impaired, and the use of “autisms” rather than “autism” to emphasize the extraordinarily diverse presentations of the disorder has been popular for several years at the most prominent autism conferences, such as the International Society for Autism Research .
It’s not that the architects of the DSM revision failed to acknowledge the need for precision with their Autism Spectrum Disorder diagnosis. But their framework — which includes both specifiers as well as severity levels to attach to problems with perseverative behavior and social communication — is, as the Lancet Commission aptly points out, “not easily or consistently used in practice or in research.
This muddle has had catastrophic consequences for those who, like my son Jonah, fall under the category of profound autism. Not only has