Approach to autism spectrum disorder: Using the new DSM-V diagnostic criteria and the CanMEDS-FM framework

To review the diagnostic criteria for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition (DSM-V), and to develop an approach to managing ASD using the CanMEDS- Family Medicine (CanMEDS-FM) framework.

The DSM-V from the American Psychiatric Association, published in May 2013, provides new diagnostic criteria for ASD. The College of Family Physicians of Canada's CanMEDS-FM framework provides a blueprint that can guide the complex management of ASD. We used data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to determine the prevalence of ASD, and we used the comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis completed by the UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence for their guidelines on ASD to assess the evidence for more than 100 interventions.

The prevalence of ASD was 1 in 88 in 2008 in the United States according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The ASD classification in the fourth edition of the DSM included autism, Asperger syndrome, pervasive developmental disorder, and childhood disintegrative disorder. The new DSM-V revision incorporates all these disorders into one ASD umbrella term with different severity levels. The management of ASD is complex and requires a multidisciplinary team effort and continuity of care. The CanMEDS-FM roles provide a framework for management.

Family physicians are the key leaders of the multidisciplinary care team for ASD, and the CanMEDS-FM framework provides a comprehensive guide to help manage a child with ASD and to help the child's family.