USA TODAY: … Among the changes are:
• Eliminating the mild form of autism known as Asperger’s disorder per se and including it as part of the autism spectrum disorder;
• Adding binge eating, hoarding and disruptive mood dysregulation disorder. The mood disorder would diagnose children with persistent irritability and frequent episodes of behavior outbursts, three or more times a week for more than a year.
The impact of this vote is far-reaching, as decisions about what’s a mental disorder and what’s not affect millions of individuals across the USA. Not only is there potential stigma regarding a diagnosis, but the ripple extends to what treatments health insurance will cover and which conditions schools recognize for special services… (more)
