Abstract

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) was for many years considered to be one of five pervasive developmental disorders (PDD) as defined in the 4th edition of the Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR) published by the American Psychiatric Association (APA, 2000). These disorders included Autism, Rett Syndrome, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, PDD-NOS (not otherwise specified), and Asperger’s syndrome. The 2013, fifth revision of the manual (DSM-5) presented a modification in the diagnosis for Autism Spectrum Disorder. It is now being diagnosed as an inclusive disorder of a range of symptoms or autism related symptoms from mild to severe (APA, 2013). It has dropped four of the previous diagnoses and is now only one encompassing disability called Autism Spectrum Disorder. Using the new DSM-5 diagnostic criteria some students who were previously diagnosed as having Asperger’s Syndrome do not fit the new Autism Spectrum Disorder criteria. These students might now be diagnosed with Social Communication Disorder (SCD). This diagnosis meets the symptoms presented by these individuals more appropriately. SCD describes the social difficulties and pragmatic language differences that impact comprehension, production, and awareness in conversation that are not caused by delayed cognition or other language delays.

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