DSM-V coming soon

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I thought psychology, with its tools of analysis, is already a systematic field of study...

Why isn't it Science>.<

Well, maybe I should clarify: It's always technically been a science (as far as something very closely related to philosophy can be a science); but it's becoming much more of a testable, quantifiable science. Back with Freud, it was all theory, case studies, and philosophy; hit and miss, mostly miss. Since then, progress has been slow and the big advancements have been made mostly by chance, with lots of horrible useless treatments as the cost. But with the beginnings of reliable, precise brain scans and the technology to investigate everything from the microscopic structure of neurons to the DNA that codes for the proteins involved, psychology has linked up with neuroscience. Useful new tests are available to track neurotransmitters and other chemicals in the brain (glucose is especially useful--it goes where the brain's most active).

Psychologists themselves are developing better and more reliable tests and rating scales, so that even when you can't measure things technologically, they're starting to learn how to increase reliability of those rating scales, regardless of who's using them. Computers probably triggered a lot of it; that, and the technological explosion we've been having over the last fifty years or so. A lot of the time, new discoveries simply can't be made until the tools exist to make them... we're seeing a huge increase in the tools available to psychologists.

Last edited by Callista on 19 Jan 2010, 6:03 am, edited 1 time in total.

Actually I'm not I could be DXed with DSM-IV while surerly I'll be DX-able with DSM-V. With DSM-V they are enlarging autism not shrinking it.

At least this creates more relatives for autistics, isn't it?

Don't worry about being diagnosed or not. Most of us who are diagnosed will stay this way for 3 more years, until the new DSM-V comes... and probably we will get rediagnosed again under the criteria stated in the thick book.

I am waiting for DSM-V to be published.

Don't worry, just wait 1 more year... like me.

If AS is removed from the DSM-V, do our diagnoses become null and void?

No, but there could be so many other solutions.

No, we become high functioning autistics.

What about PDD-NOS?

Same, people diagnosed PDD-NOS would also be HFA.

That's convenient, and there will only be two options: NT or HFA.

No, NT means no neurological conditions whatsoever. There are other conditions besides the autistic spectrum, and people with those wouldn't be NTs either.

Yep, they're talking about yoinking the mild/moderate/severe/profound categories from the MR spectrum to use for autism, actually. So, the stronger your traits, the more you move toward "profound". Most Aspies will probably be stuck in the mild or moderate categories. The advantage of that system is that you're allowed to move around on it; so people will be naturally inclined to move towards the mild end as they grow and learn. That'd solve the "can't distinguish classic autistic adult from Asperger's" problem.

Anyway, people with MR being nice and happy all the time? Yeah, definitely a stereotype. So much. I mean, yeah, some of them are cheerful, but that's because they are people with all sorts of personalities and some personalities are cheerful types. They can definitely get bitchy just like anybody else can. I think it's kind of demeaning when people portray them like that because it kind of minimizes it when they have problems.

Maybe Williams syndrome is an exception, though. I mean, they're wired to be outgoing and friendly and unusually trusting; so if any group of MR individuals is anything like that stereotype, it's probably them. I've never met anyone with WIlliams syndrome, though. It's fairly rare.

I usually just respond to logic, not username. This post is addressed to every Aspie who feels that he (or she) is helpless in our world.

I feel apologetic to hear this. Yes, it's nearly impossible to be independent when we are handicapped in some form or another. You think I am not autistic is it? No, I am not only autistic, I also feel handicapped in my social skills as I cannot freely interact with NTs. I am living in a different world from the normal. I do not expect to live away from my parents... As Singapore has so few group homes for autistics, I expect to live with my parents and they might have to suffer in life.

I do not know your conditions, I do not know what are the societal attitudes in your places too. However, I do know that despite what had happened, even though I feel bad and discouraged by my autism, I am still expected (as an only son of my family) to support my family... this requires even more from me than let's say I live independently. And somehow I still cannot get employed for the time being. So my personal experience just tells me that unless you are totally crippled, mute, blind or something like that, you can still somehow self-manage and do well enough to lead your own best. And hopefully earn enough money to support yourself, including the money to employ workers, if you've good ideas or something like that.

So what we cannot function well in society? As long as we do our best, we can still manage to do some things in the world. And just a few words, like 'you just stick up for any person with low self-esteem, it just gets so onedimensional in the end'... as if I do not listen to your views. I admit because of my autism, I cannot listen to you as the way you want to be. I cannot help with it.

Even if 2012 comes, I will just hope to live strong and fight for my life, no matter how handicapped or useless I might turn out to be. I hope in 4 years time, you will be happier with your life...

And recognize that every Aspie is different. I know that I ain't some other Aspie... I am myself and no matter what you think I am, I along with other Aspies are all different, like different wavelengths of the light spectrum!

I couldn't agree more with this post!

Its no use moping around saying you can't do something, because if you do, that will become true, it's as simple as that.

To use an everyday example, say you're doing something on the computer at home, and it's not working. If you walk away and don't bother fixing it, will it work? Of course not.

The same thing applies in life. If you desire to be independent, or "function in society" (however you define such a thing), and you make no attempt at doing so, it's never gonna happen. Simple.