DSM-III-R and DSM-IV Autism Criteria

Below, I list the criteria for Autism relative to the DSM-III-R and the DSM-IV.
Comments are welcome and I have dropped the need for a Blogger ID to comment on this post.

DSM-III-R:

Includes at least two items from item A, one from item B, and one from item C:

A. qualitative impairment in reciprocal social interaction (the examples within parentheses are arranged so that those first listed are more likely to apply to younger ormore disabled, and the later ones, to older or less disabled) as manifested by the following:

(1) marked lack of awareness of the existence or feelings of others (for example, treats a person as if that person were a piece of furniture; does not notice another person's distress; apparently has no concept of the need of others for privacy);


(2) no or abnormal seeking of comfort at times of distress (for example, does not come for comfort even when ill, hurt, or tired; seeks comfort in a stereotyped way, for example, says "cheese, cheese, cheese" whenever hurt);

(3) no or impaired imitation (for example, does not wave bye-bye; does not copy parent's domestic activities; mechanical imitation of others' actions out of context);

(4) no or abnormal social play (for example, does not actively participate in simple games; prefers solitary play activities; involves other children in play only as mechanical aids); and

(5) gross impairment in ability to make peer friendships (for example, no interest in making peer friendships; despite interest in making friends, demonstrates lack of understanding of conventions of social interaction, for example, reads phone book to uninterested peer);

B. qualitative impairment in verbal and nonverbal communication and in imaginative activity, (the numbered items are arranged so that those first listed as more likely to apply to younger or more disabled, and the later ones, to older or less disabled) as manifested by the following:

(1) no mode of communication, such as communicative babbling, facial expression, gesture, mime, or spoken language;

(2) markedly abnormal nonverbal communication, as in the use of eye-to-eye gaze, facial expression, body posture, or gestures to initiate or modulate social interaction (for example, does not anticipate being held, stiffens when held, does not look at the person or smile when making a social approach, does not greet parents or visitors, has a fixed stare in social situations);

(3) absence of imaginative activity, such as play-acting of adult roles, fantasy characters, or animals; lack of interest in stories about imaginary events;

(4) marked abnormalities in the production of speech, including volume, pitch, stress, rate, rhythm, and intonation (for example, monotonous tone, question-like melody,or high pitch);

(5) marked abnormalities in the form or content of speech, including stereotyped and repetitive use of speech (for example, immediate echolalia or mechanical repetition of a television commercial); use of "you" when "I" is meant (for example, using "You want cookie?" to mean "I want a cookie"); idiosyncratic use of words or phrases (for example, "Go on green riding" to mean "I want to go on the swing"); or frequent irrelevant remarks (for example, starts talking about train schedules during a conversation about sports); and

(6) marked impairment in the ability to initiate or sustain a conversation with others, despite adequate speech (for example, indulging in lengthy monologues on one subjectregardless of interjections from others);
C. markedly restricted repertoire of activities and interests, as manifested by the following:

(1) stereotyped body movements (for example, handflicking or twisting, spinning, head-banging, complex whole-body movements);

(2) persistent preoccupation with parts of objects (for example, sniffing or smelling objects, repetitive feeling of texture of materials, spinning wheels of toy cars) or attachment to unusual objects (for example, insists on carrying around a piece of string);

(3) marked distress over changes in trivial aspects of environment (for example, when a vase is moved from usual position);
(4) unreasonable insistence on following routines in precise detail (for example, insisting that exactly the same route always be followed when shopping);

(5) markedly restricted range of interests and a preoccupation with one narrow interest (for example, interested only in lining up objects, in amassing facts about meteorology, or in pretending to be a fantasy character);

D. onset during infancy or early childhood;

E. other symptoms that may occur with the syndrome:

(1) sensory disturbances as evidenced by atypical responses to stimuli (for example, touch, sound, light, movement, smell, taste). Responses may include overreaction, indifference, or withdrawal; and

(2) uneven acquisition of skills, and/or difficulty in integrating and generalizing acquired skills; and

F. the pupil's need for instruction and services mustbe supported by at least one documented systematic observation in the pupil's daily routine setting by an appropriate professional and verify the criteria categories in items A to D. In addition, corroboration of developmental or medical information with a developmental history and at least one other assessment procedure that is conducted on a different day must be included. Other documentation should include parent reports, functional skills assessments, adaptive behavior scales, intelligence tests, criterion-referenced instruments, language concepts, developmental checklists, or an autism checklist.


DSM-IV:

A total of six (or more) items from (1), (2), and (3), with at least two from (1), and one each from (2) and (3):

A

(1) qualitative impairment in social interaction, as manifested by at least two of the following:

(a) marked impairment in the use of multiple nonverbal behaviors, such as eye-to- eye gaze, facial expression, body postures, and gestures to regulate social interaction

(b) failure to develop peer relationships appropriate to developmental level

(c) a lack of spontaneous seeking to share enjoyment, interests, or achievements with other people (e.g., by a lack of showing, bringing, or pointing out objects of interest)

(d) lack of social or emotional reciprocity

(2) qualitative impairments in communication, as manifested by at least one of the following:

(a) delay in, or total lack of, the development of spoken language (not accompanied by an attempt to compensate through alternative modes of communication such as gesture or mime)

(b) in individuals with adequate speech, marked impairment in the ability to initiate or sustain a conversation with others

(c) stereotyped and repetitive use of language or idiosyncratic language

(d) lack of varied, spontaneous make-believe play or social imitative play appropriate to developmental level

(3) restricted, repetitive, and stereotyped patterns of behavior, interests, and activities as manifested by at least one of the following:

(a) encompassing preoccupation with one or more stereotyped and restricted patterns of interest that is abnormal either in intensity or focus

(b) apparently inflexible adherence to specific, nonfunctional routines or rituals

(c) stereotyped and repetitive motor mannerisms (e.g., hand or finger flapping or twisting or complex whole-body movements)

(d) persistent precoccupation with parts of objects B. Delays or abnormal functioning in at least one of the following areas, with onset prior to age 3 years: (1) social interaction, (2) language as used in social communication, or (3) symbolic or imaginative play.

C. The disturbance is not better accounted for by Rett's disorder or childhood disintegrative disorder.


References

American Psychiatric Association. (1987). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Third Edition, Revised. Washington, DC: AmericanPsychiatric Association; 1980.

American Psychiatric Association. (1994). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition. Washington, DC: American PsychiatricAssociation; 1994.