#AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER MANUAL#

There is a growing interest in exploring the complex relationship between ASD and PD, because a better understanding of this topic may enhance the diagnostic process and also inform targeted interventions. Both PD and ASD are life-long and egosyntonic disorders. PD are enduring and pervasive patterns of inner experience and behaviour that deviate markedly from the expectations of the individualвЂ™s culture, resulting in distress and impairment. However, in a recent survey Keller et al found a PD comorbidity in ASD in 24% of the sample. While these patients are usually screened for the presence of Axis I disorders, Axis II comorbidities are less often evaluated in this sample of patients. Misdiagnosis, differential diagnoses, comorbidities and overlapping behaviour with other psychiatric diagnoses, as well as personality disorders (PD), should be considered. The high frequency of co-occurring disorders and the development of learnt or camouflaging strategies make it difficult to diagnose ASD in adults, especially in women. It is possible that adults with ASD level 1 are vulnerable to such disorders, in part because of their greater insight into their deficits and greater sensitivity to discrimination. The most common coexisting psychiatric disorders in subjects with ASD include attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), obsessiveвЂ“compulsive disorder, psychosis and mood and anxiety disorders. Late-diagnosed individuals show higher levels of co-occurring psychiatric conditions, potentially related to the long-term stress in adaptation to daily life in society. ASD level 1 may not have been diagnosed in adulthood and may also have been misdiagnosed as a psychiatric disorder. Level 1, which requires support, is the best functioning and includes the previous definitions of high-functioning ASD (a term commonly used in clinical practice) and AspergerвЂ™s syndrome (AS), the closest to neurotypical functioning.

#AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER MANUAL#

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5 th Edition, classifies three levels of ASD functioning.

The severity of ASD symptoms, intellectual functioning, age at diagnosis and psychiatric comorbidity have been shown to account for heterogeneity in clinical presentation, functioning and outcome. The onset of clinical symptoms occurs during the early years of life. ASD is characterized by deficits in socio-emotional reciprocity, by impaired verbal and non-verbal communication skills, and by an inability to develop and maintain adequate social relationships with peers, and is associated with the presence of repetitive verbal and motor behaviours, restricted patterns of interest, the need for an unchanging (or at least predictable and stable) environment and hypo- or hypersensitivity to sensory inputs. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with an early onset and a genetic component.