http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/20/health/research/new-autism-definition-would-exclude-many-study-suggests.html?_r=1&ref=health
The New York Times recently published an article that the American Psychiatric Association is considering changing the definition of autism. The number of people who have been diagnosed with the disease is rapidly increasing and this new definition could leave many of them without help. The new narrower definition of autism will effect those who have milder cases of the disease and are considered higher functioning than others. This could leave many families without financial help and might also exclude some children from special school programs. Those who are conducting the studies that might change the definition are arguing that it would not have a big effect on families. This controversy is fueling debates among the medical community. The studies are only preliminary at this point, but if the definition of autism is changed the effects could be devastating.
