A review of the DSM-III-R criteria for autistic disorder.
The objective of this paper is to review the psychometric properties of the new DSM-III-R criteria for autism. Five data sets were evaluated according to a set of methodological criteria. The results indicate that the DSM-III-R criteria for autistic disorder have, on average, very good sensitivity, but much lower specificity. The implications of this are (a) greater numbers of children diagnosed as autistic; (b) greater numbers of children misdiagnosed as autistic; and (c) greater heterogeneity among samples of autistic children. In essence, the DSM-III-R criteria act more like screening tests than diagnostic criteria. Conceptual and methodologic issues in the evaluation of diagnostic criteria are discussed.
Szatmari
P
P
Department of Psychiatry, McMaster University, Chedoke-McMaster Hospitals, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011594:Psychometrics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012919:Social Behavior