Saturday coffee.
There is lots of snow on the ground in Chicago this morning.
The streets are clear, at least in our ward.
On most days it takes 40 minutes for me to drive home. On a typical Friday it can be an hour. The drive home for me last night was two hours long.
Anne and I parked our cars and walked up to the Square for a few drinks and dinner. The light of the street lights
DSM-5 and autism.
The DSM is the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Psychiatric Disorders. The fifth edition will be published in May of next year. The Manual is very important since it is used by practitioners and policy makers in making important decisions about diagnosis, treatment and public policy. It has significant implications for decisions about programs for Special Needs students in schools
This past week it has been a topic of conversation, particularly because of the proposal to redefine autism in DSM-5.
I’m not an expert on autism. I have taught children with autism for almost 30 years, the past dozen years in a public school which struggles to carry out an inclusion program for students with autism, Down Syndrome and other Special Needs.
A dialogue erupted on my Facebook page yesterday when I said that the change in definition was mainly about money.
“Totally correct…if this happens so many kids could lose speech, OT, PT and social skills programming…everything that will help them become productive members of society,” a friend commented.
“I’m an advisor to the DSM-5 child and adolescent disorders workgroup. Although I am not part of the specific
Old school.
The Sir Douglas Quintet.
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