Full details of all the revisions will come in May 2013 when the American Psychiatric Associationโs new diagnostic manual is published.
The changes will affect the diagnosis and treatment of millions of children and adults worldwide, as well as medical insurance and special education services.
The aim was not to expand the number of people diagnosed with mental illness but to ensure those affected were more accurately diagnosed so they could get the most appropriate treatment, said Dr David Kupfer, the University of Pittsburgh psychiatry professor who chaired the revision committee.
One of the most hotly argued changes was how to define the various ranges of autism. Some on the panel opposed the idea of dropping the specific diagnosis for Aspergerโs. People with that disorder often have high intelligence and vast knowledge on narrow subjects but lack social skills. Some Aspergerโs families opposed any change, fearing their children will lose a diagnosis and no longer be eligible for special services, but experts have said this will not be the case.
People with dyslexia also were closely watching for the update. Many with the reading disorder did not want their diagnosis dropped, and it will not be. Instead, the new manual will have a broader learning disorder category to cover several conditions including dyslexia, which causes difficulty understanding letters and recognising written words.
