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christian counseling today
Vol. 20 no. 2
Rhett’s Syndrome, Tourette’s Syndrome, and
Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise
Specified (PDDNOS), as well as atypical autism.
The Yale School of Medicine analyzed people
currently diagnosed with
DSM-IV
criteria and
then applied the new
DSM-5
standard on the
sample.
3
The updated criteria resulted in 75% of
the sample retaining the diagnosis. The majority
of the remaining 25% were those previously diag-
nosed with PDDNOS or Asperger’s Syndrome.
One major concern for treatment professionals,
as well as the parents of a disordered child, is that
those who are considered as “higher functioning”
may be excluded from the diagnosis and, there-
fore, much needed services within the educational
system.
Dr. Tony Attwood, a world-renowned autism
expert, argues that even though the
DSM-5
may exclude Asperger’s Syndrome, the ICD-9/
ICD-10 (the medical classification system used
by the World Health Organization) retained
the terminology and distinction. According to
Attwood, those with Asperger’s (sometimes called
Aspies) are usually not diagnosed until the ages
of eight to 11 and perhaps later for girls (10–13).
The problem lies with the new
DSM-5
criteria
where clinical impairment must be noted before
the child turns three. Unfortunately, associated
symptoms may not be recognized until the child
is school age and struggling with psychosocial
skill development among peers. Advocates for
Asperger’s as a separate disorder must wait to see
what the impact will be on future diagnoses, treat-
ment interventions and resource availability.
Since Asperger’s is a relatively recent term,
many went through childhood, adolescence, and
early adulthood undiagnosed, especially women
who blend into mainstream culture better. More
adults are being diagnosed in their late 20s and
early 30s today. Asperger’s also affects marriage
since Aspies grapple with reciprocal conversa-
tion and have difficulty showing empathy and
love. Studies reveal that 80% of marriages with an
Aspie partner end in divorce. There is scant infor-
mation available on counseling Aspie couples, but
traditional marriage counseling tends to be unsuc-
cessful and non-ASD spouses need to be better
educated.
Etiological Factors
The exact causes of ASD are not fully under-
stood or universally agreed upon. Possible triggers
