Describing Function in ASD: Using the DSM-5 and Other Methods to Improve Precision

Excerpt

Use of the term “low-functioning” in the autism spectrum disorder (ASD) literature dates to at least 1969 (Goldfarb et al. 1969), and the term “high autistic” was used as early as 1973 (DeMyer et al. 1973). These modifiers were often used to characterize children with ASD on the basis of characteristics not specific to ASD (e.g., IQ, language). A search on this Journal’s website, which like other autism journals lists “high/low functioning” as potential submission classifications, yielded 167 results for “high-functioning” and 49 for “low-functioning” in 2016 alone. Some self-advocates with ASD report that these terms are perceived as pejorative (Ortega 2009). The scientific problems with use of these terms are also concerning, but are less widely acknowledged. Here, we argue that the imprecision of this terminology hinders scientific progress, and we suggest that we turn to DSM-5 diagnostic criteria that include descriptive specifiers for a more precise, and appropriate, nomenclature. …