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DSM-5 Criteria

miaxx

Hello again

I'm having a bit of a crisis because I've just read the diagnostic criteria on DSM-5 and I've realised I'm not sure if I fit the first section?

Difficulties in social communication
To be diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, children must have difficulties in the area of social communication.

Signs of difficulties in this area include:

  • rarely using language to communicate with other people
  • not speaking at all
  • rarely responding when spoken to
  • not sharing interests or achievements with parents
  • rarely using or understanding gestures like pointing or waving
  • using only limited facial expressions to communicate
  • not showing an interest in friends or having difficulties making friends
  • rarely engaging in imaginative play.

I'm really scared now for my assessment because I am absolutely convinced I am Autistic, my GP thinks so too since he referred me. But I can't think of any symptoms I had for this section as a child? The second section I completely relate to, but this one is worrying me. I have always been anxious, unable to make eye contact, scared speak to other people as a child, but DSM-5 doesnt mention any of this in social communication? I have had difficulty making and keeping friends, but that is the only one I can think of. And I was a super imaginative kid?! (from what I remember) 'pretending' play was all I seemed to do. I was convinced I was a mermaid when I was young, and this has to be imaginative right? I maladaptive daydream too, so maybe I don't fit this at all?

I'm so confused!! Can anyone give me examples from their life which relates to this diagnostic criteria, just to see i'm missing something?

  • in reply to miaxx

    Much of that I feel relates to my experience. Emotional regulation, needing control due to anxiety, ability to relate to fictional people.

  • in reply to moon

    Reading those symptoms wow I relate so so hard. Especially struggling with emotional regulation, need for control, relating to fictional people, oh my goodness

  • in reply to miaxx

    Using speeches from TV shows is a form of 'scripting', and is a recognised feature of autism in some people. From childhood can include things like not replying to questions asked by unfamiliar adults, having a parent answer for you or having to be directly prompted by a parent. I had selective mutism at school as a child; when I started school, I didn't speak for 3 months. Anything similar to any of these things would count. 

  • It's a spectrum remember and all autists present differently.

    There are also different profiles (not sure what the current technical lingo is)... one of which is Pathalogical Demand Avoidance...

    https://www.pdasociety.org.uk/what-is-pda-menu/identifying-pda/

    Traits include:

    appearing comfortable in role play, pretence & fantasy (Hello Mermaid!)

    appearing sociable, but lacking some understanding (perhaps by good mimicking?)

    Not suggesting you're PDA neccesarily, but there may be overlap.

    That being said, my assessment is in a few weeks time and I'm sometimes shitting bricks they won't believe me.

  • in reply to Peter

    I suppose. I only really had 2 friends and was always the odd one out. I never really ventured into making other friends and was always very anxious about meeting new people. I would mimick people I saw on television too, which I would class as a communication issue, since I couldn't/wouldn't communicate as 'myself', but this isn't included on that criteria Disappointed

  • in reply to miaxx

    I mean if you grew up in near isolation social issues wouldn't have been very evident?

  • in reply to miaxx

    It also states this needs to be shown in childhood, whereas I feel the communication issues have become more prevalent in adulthood. And as before, I show almost all traits of the second section (including during childhood), it's just this first section I'm worried about

  • in reply to Peter

    Yes, I've read that too, but just needed it in simpler terms. My point still stands, I'm worried I don't fit into this, I feel like I have social and communication issues, but not like this? However the other section I completely fit.

  • I've read the DSM5 and that text isn't in it. more likely its some sort of layman summery.

    The actual text reads as follows.

    A. Persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction across multiple con­texts, as manifested by the following, currently or by history (examples are illustrative, not exhaustive; see text):

    1. Deficits in social-emotional reciprocity, ranging, for example, from abnormal social approach and failure of normal back-and-forth conversation; to reduced sharing of interests, emotions, or affect; to failure to initiate or respond to social interactions.

    2. Deficits in nonverbal communicative behaviors used for social interaction, ranging, for example, from poorly integrated verbal and nonverbal communication; to abnor­malities in eye contact and body language or deficits in understanding and use of gestures: to a total lack of facial expressions and nonverbal communication.

    3. Deficits in developing, maintaining, and understanding relationships, ranging, for ex­ample, from difficulties adjusting behavior to suit various social contexts; to difficulties in sharing imaginative play or in making friends; to absence of interest in peers.