Brief report: comparability of DSM-IV and DSM-5 ASD research samples

Area of Science:

• Neurodevelopmental Disorders
• Psychiatric Diagnostics

Background:

• The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-5) criteria for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have faced criticism for potential restrictiveness, particularly for cognitively able individuals.
• It remains unclear if individuals with high-functioning ASD, eligible for research through standardized assessments, meet the updated DSM-5 criteria.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of DSM-5 criteria on the diagnostic status of high-functioning individuals with existing ASD research diagnoses.
• To compare the diagnostic yield of DSM-5 criteria based on different assessment methodologies.

Main Methods:

• The study analyzed data from 498 high-functioning participants with prior ASD research diagnoses.
• Diagnostic status was evaluated against DSM-5 criteria using data from the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) and the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R).

Main Results:

• A significant variation in the percentage of participants meeting DSM-5 requirements was observed depending on the diagnostic tool used: 33% with ADOS data versus 83% with ADI-R data.
• When data from both ADOS and ADI-R were combined, 93% of participants met the DSM-5 criteria.

Conclusions:

• Diagnostic methodology significantly influences the ability to document DSM-5 symptoms for ASD.
• The combined use of ADOS and ADI-R suggests continuity between DSM-IV and DSM-5 research samples for high-functioning individuals with ASD.