title: A critical review of DSM-III in the developmental disorder of childhood.
abstract: This paper presents a summary and critical review of the DSM-III diagnostic system for childhood psychiatric disorders with particular reference to developmental disorders. The rational for a multiaxial system, explicit diagnostic criteria, and a phenomenological approach are outlined. Criteria for mental retardation, infantile autism, and specific developmental disorders are reviewed. While this system is an advance over previous schemes many problems are also evident. These include a lack of specificity of the criteria, inconsistencies in criteria, and placement on the axes of mental disorders.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D002648:Child; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000145:classification* / Q000175:diagnosis; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000175:diagnosis; D011581:Psychological Tests / Q000592:standards*