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Diagnostic and Statistical Manual
Last updated on Jun 9, 2020 in CAR Autism Roadmap™
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) is the handbook used by health care professionals in the United States. The DSM contains symptoms and descriptions used to diagnose and research mental disorders. The first DSM was published in 1952. There have been numerous revisions since then, and the most recent publication was in May 2013. A large amount of information and research has been gained about the various mental health disorders listed in the DSM, and this information is taken into account for revisions of the diagnostic manual. Over the last 10+ years, work groups composed of experts in various fields, including psychiatry, psychology, social work, nursing, pediatrics, neurology, and others, planned for and made revisions for newest publication, the DSM-5. Clinicians are now using the fifth edition to diagnose individuals with mental health issues.
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The Center for Autism Research and The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia do not endorse or recommend any specific person or organization or form of treatment. The information included within the CAR Autism Roadmap™ and CAR Resource Directory™ should not be considered medical advice and should serve only as a guide to resources publicly and privately available. Choosing a treatment, course of action, and/or a resource is a personal decision, which should take into account each individual's and family's particular circumstances.