"All children had normal IQ"
Abstract - Methods, Cheung C. et al, MRI study of minor physical
anomaly in childhood autism implicates aberrant neurodevelopment in infancy
anomaly in childhood autism implicates aberrant neurodevelopment in infancy
I have written several times on the exclusion of the intellectually disabled from autism diagnoses in the DSM5. Some people whose opinions I genuinely respect, but disagree with on this subject, have indicated that my interpretation of the new Autism Spectrum Disorder wording is incorrect. I am not convinced, much as I would like to be, and I have not been persuaded that my interpreation is incorrect.
Another point I have made, which dovetails with this issue, is the exclusion of the intellectually disabled from autism research, a trend which has been going on for some time and is particularly clear in the MRI autism brains scan studies. The Cheung et al study published recently follows this trend: PLoS One. 2011;6(6):e20246. Epub 2011 Jun 8.
The exclusion of the intellectually disabled from the DSM5 Autism Spectrum Disorder, which might more accurately be called the Aspergers Spectrum Disorder, is in fact following the recent tendency to exclude the intellectually disabled from autism research. As a parent of an autistic son with "profound developmental delays" my opinion on this autism research tendency is probably considered suspect but I would refer doubters to the statement by Catherine Lord, prominent autism researcher and DSM panelist in Social Policy Report, Autism Spectrum Disorders Diagnosis, Prevalence, and Services for Children and Families:
""However, research in ASD has tended to use overwhelmingly White, middle to upper middle class samples, and has often excluded children with multiple disabilities and/or severe to profound intellectual disabilities". [underlining added - HLD]
The exclusion of the intellectually disabled from the DSM5 Autism Spectrum Disorder, which might more accurately be called the Aspergers Spectrum Disorder, is in fact following the recent tendency to exclude the intellectually disabled from autism research. As a parent of an autistic son with "profound developmental delays" my opinion on this autism research tendency is probably considered suspect but I would refer doubters to the statement by Catherine Lord, prominent autism researcher and DSM panelist in Social Policy Report, Autism Spectrum Disorders Diagnosis, Prevalence, and Services for Children and Families:
""However, research in ASD has tended to use overwhelmingly White, middle to upper middle class samples, and has often excluded children with multiple disabilities and/or severe to profound intellectual disabilities". [underlining added - HLD]
Autism research, for what appear to be nothing more than reasons of research convenience, has already excluded intellectually disabled subjects. The DSM-5's Autism Spectrum Disorder reflects this trend. The severely affected by autism, the intellectually disabled, will be excluded from the ASD, from services and from our consciousness ... out of sight, out of mind.
autism
