title: Autism according to diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders 5(th) edition: The need for further improvements.
abstract: The fifth edition of the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM-5) introduced significant changes in the classification of autism spectrum disorders (ASD), including the abolition of the diagnostic subcategories proposed by DSM-IV-Text Revision. DSM-5 describes three levels of increasing severity of ASD. The authors report two explanatory cases with ASD (verbal boys, aged about 7 and a half years, without intellectual disability). According to DSM-5, both cases fall into the lowest severity level of ASD. However, their neuropsychological and neurobehavioral profile varies significantly. While the first boy showed a prevalent impairment of visuoconstructional and visuoperceptual abilities, the second one presented a predominant involvement of verbal functions, with qualitative impairments in communication. A further step forward in the definition and classification of ASD, taking into account both intensity and quality of symptoms, is recommended in order to formulate a reliable prognosis, plan an individualized treatment and monitor the clinical course over time.
authors.affiliation: Child Neurology and Psychiatry Unit, IRCCS Institute of Neurological Sciences of Bologna, Italy ; Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Annio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Posar
authors.affiliation: Child Neurology and Psychiatry Unit, IRCCS Institute of Neurological Sciences of Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Resca
authors.affiliation: Child Neurology and Psychiatry Unit, IRCCS Institute of Neurological Sciences of Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Visconti
keywords: Autism; autism spectrum disorders; diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders 5th edition; diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders-IV-Text Revision