Psychiatrists Revise Guide for Diagnosing Mental Disorders

The now familiar term "Asperger's disorder" is being dropped. And abnormally bad and frequent temper tantrums will be given a scientific-sounding diagnosis called DMDD. But "dyslexia" and other learning disorders remain.

The revisions come in the first major rewrite in nearly 20 years of the diagnostic guide used by U.S. psychiatrists. Changes were approved Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader earlier this month.

Full details of all the revisions will come next May when the Arlington, Va.-based American Psychiatric Association 's new diagnostic manual is published, but the impact will be huge, affecting millions of children and adults worldwide. The manual also is important for the insurance industry in deciding what treatment to pay for, and it helps schools determine which students should be...

This article is available to subscribers only.

To keep reading this article and more, subscribe now or start a 2-week FREE trial.

Already have an account? Please login.


Subscribe to Education Week

You Save 20% or More!

Premium Online + Print


20 issues + Online Access
$39

You Save 20%

SUBSCRIBE NOW

(See details.)

Premium Online


6 Months Online Access
$29

You Save 22%

SUBSCRIBE NOW

(See details.)


Most Popular Stories

Viewed

Emailed

Recommended

Commented

  • Principal
  • Christ the King Preparatory School, NJ
  • Superintendent
  • Round Rock ISD, Round Rock, TX
  • Principal
  • Chattahoochee Hills Charter School, Multiple Locations
  • Principal
  • Amargosa Valley Elementary School, Amargosa Valley, NV
  • Principal
  • The Berkeley Institute, HAMILTON, Bermuda