Diagnosis is usually made during early childhood. With the release of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental<unk> s–Fifth Edition (DSM-5) in May 2013, the diagnosis for<unk>  was removed and replaced with autism spectrum<unk> s. Distinction between the past<unk> s is implicated by a series of severity levels. Individuals who received diagnoses based on the DSM-IV maintain their diagnosis under the autism spectrum<unk> s. However, an editorial published in the October 2012 issue of American Journal of Psychiatry notes that, while some doctors argue that there is insufficient evidence to support the diagnostic distinction between ASD and<unk> , multiple literature reviews found that studies showing significant differences between the two<unk> s significantly outnumbered those that found no difference. Unlike the DSM-5, the World Health Organization’s International Classification of Diseases, 10th edition (ICD-10) categorizes<unk>  into four distinct subtypes, each with their own diagnostic criteria. The four<unk> s (childhood autism, atypical autism, Rett syndrome, and other childhood disintegrative<unk>  are characterized by abnormalities in social interactions and communication. The<unk> s are primarily diagnosed based on behavioral features, although the presence of any medical conditions are important, they are not taken into account when making a diagnosis. Before the release of the DSM-5, some clinicians used<unk> -NOS as a "temporary" diagnosis for children under the age of five when, for whatever reason, they are reluctant to diagnose autism. There are several justifications for this. Very young children have limited social interaction and communication skills to begin with, so it can be tricky to diagnose milder cases of autism in toddlers. The unspoken assumption is that by the age of five, unusual behaviors will either resolve or develop into diagnosable autism. However, some parents view the<unk>  label as no more than a euphemism for autism spectrum<unk> s, problematic because this label makes it more difficult to receive aid for early childhood intervention. Classification The<unk> s were: *<unk>  not otherwise specified <unk> -NOS), which includes atypical autism, and is the most common (47% of autism diagnoses); * Typical autism, the best-known; * Asperger syndrome (9% of autism diagnoses); * Rett syndrome; and * Childhood disintegrative<unk>  (CDD). The first three of these<unk> s are commonly called the autism spectrum<unk> s; the last two<unk> s are much rarer, and are sometimes placed in the autism spectrum and sometimes not. In May 2013, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual–Fifth Edition (DSM-5) was released, updating the classification for<unk> s. The grouping of<unk> s, including<unk> -NOS, Autism, Asperger Syndrome, Rett Syndrome, and CDD, has been removed and replaced with the general term of Autism Spectrum<unk> s. The American Psychiatric Association has concluded that using the general diagnosis of ASD supports more accurate diagnoses. The combination of these<unk> s was also fueled by the standpoint that Autism is characterized by common symptoms and should therefore bear a single diagnostic term. In order to distinguish between the different<unk> s, the DSM-5 employs severity levels. The severity levels take into account required support, restricted interests and repetitive behaviors, and deficits in social communication.<unk>  and<unk> -NOS There is a division among doctors on the use of the term<unk> . Many use the term<unk>  as a short way of saying<unk> -NOS. Others use the general category because the term<unk>  actually refers to a category of<unk> s and is not a diagnostic label.<unk>  is not itself a diagnosis, while<unk> -NOS is a diagnosis. To further complicate the issue,<unk> -NOS can also be referred to as "atypical personality development", "atypical<unk> ", or "atypical Autism". Behavior An association between HFA and criminal behavior is not completely characterized. Several studies have shown that the features associated with HFA may increase the probability of engaging in criminal behavior. While there is still a great deal of research that needs to be done in this area, recent studies on the correlation between HFA and criminal actions suggest that there is a need to understand the attributes of HFA that may lead to violent behavior. There have been several case studies that link the lack of empathy and social naïveté associated with HFA to criminal actions. There is still needs more research on the link between HFA and crimes, because most other studies point out that most people with ASD are ten times more likely to be victims and five times less likely to commit crimes than the general population. But there are also small-subgroups of people with Low-functioning Autism that commit crimes, because lack of understanding of the laws.
Pervasive developmental disorder
Multiple complex developmental disorder
Developmental language disorder
Developmental disability
Low-functioning autism
High-functioning autism
Autism spectrum
Nonverbal autism