Empower Public Relations
Chicago, IL

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Dr. Melillo Discusses DSM-5 Changes In ASD Terms

How Will The DSM-5 Autism Changes Affect Children? Dr. Robert Melillo discusses the changes in ASD terms.

The American Psychiatric Association (APA) is set to release the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) in May of 2013. With the new release comes many changes, including a crucial change to autism spectrum disorders. Co-Founder of the Brain Balance Achievement Centers Dr. Robert Melillo explains how the removal of Asperger's syndrome will change the child psychiatry world.

The DSM-5 will use autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as an umbrella term to cover mild to severe forms of autism, eliminating the terms Asperger's Disorder and Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS). According to the APA, the widening of the term is an effort to more accurately diagnose all individuals showing signs of autism.

"There are a lot of similarities among individuals with Asperger's syndrome and those with 'high functioning' autism, which is part of the reason the APA made these changes," says Dr. Melillo. "However, as ASD represents a wide spectrum of functioning, there still needs to be a form of distinction." To assist with the varying functioning levels, the DSM-5 will provide severity levels for diagnoses.

"With the diagnosis changes comes re-evaluation for many children, which can be confusing for parents of children, as well as children and adults who identify with their diagnosis," continues Dr. Melillo. "Further, as we continue to gain a better understanding of neurobehavioral disorders in children, medical experts and parents must adjust our views, along with the techniques we use to assist children with the disorders."

A useful guide for parents and professionals, Dr. Melillo's new book, Autism: The Scientific Truth About Preventing, Diagnosing, and Treating Autism Spectrum Disorders - and What Parents Can Do Now, provides an in-depth analysis of autism from a research perspective. With drug-free strategies, Dr. Melillo explains how parents can employ techniques to help prevent, detect and address the autism epidemic for themselves and their families.

Autism: The Scientific Truth About Preventing, Diagnosing, and Treating Autism Spectrum Disorders - and What Parents Can Do Now is available nationwide January 1, 2013. For more information on this topic or to speak with Dr. Melillo, please contact Claudia Maj, Publicist at Empower Public Relations, directly.

Dr. Robert Melillo is an internationally known lecturer, author, educator, researcher and clinician specializing in the areas of neurology, rehabilitation, neuropsychology and neurobehavioral disorders in children. He is co-founder of the Brain Balance Achievement Centers™ and developed the Brain Balance Program™, a multi-modal approach to the remediation of ADHD, dyslexia, autism, Asperger's, Tourette's, learning disabilities and processing disorders along with other neurobehavioral disabilities found in children. Dr. Melillo has been regularly featured on Fox News and has written two books for parents focusing on brain imbalances in children; Disconnected Kids and Reconnected Kids. His third book, Autism: The Scientific Truth About Preventing, Diagnosing, and Treating Autism Spectrum Disorders - and What Parents Can Do Now, will be available January 1, 2013.