Experts are considering rewriting the definition for autism
for the psychiatric association’s reference manual. The problem with this is
that many parents fear that their children may lose out on special therapies.
The doctors who want to revise the definition want to eliminate separate terms
like Asperger’s disorder and lump everything into one “autism spectrum disorder”
category. Some say that this proposal will exclude as many as 40% of kids now
considered autistic. Parents of the mildly affected children worry that their
kids will be left out and lose access to academic and behavioral services.
Experts say that this revision is needed so that doctors won’t misdiagnose kids
who only have mild social communication problems that may get better if he has
proper service and his brain matures. One parent said that she is afraid that
they will be pushed out of the services that they get. This includes a free
preschool program for autistic kids and speech and occupational therapy, which
costs about $50 a week. They also do not have medical insurance.
Whether rewriting the definition for autism is a good or bad
thing, one cannot say. Opponents have their reasons and the expert also have
theirs. Both sides have good reasons for their beliefs. This is a social
problem because if the experts do decide to rewrite the definition, it will be
easier to diagnose children at an earlier age; more specifically before the age
of 3. This way, the true number of autistic kids will be known. On the other
hand, many children will be left out of free and affordable programs aimed at
helping autistic children. I think that rewriting the definition is actually a
good thing because it’ll help doctors diagnose this disorder better. Children
who have mild cases of other problems can be helped in other ways. If the
symptoms are more specific, experts will know how to better treat the problems
effectively.
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