In DSM-5, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnosis requires deficits in TWO domains. Which two domains are specified?
- A Language development AND intellectual disability
- B Social communication/interaction AND restricted, repetitive patterns of behaviour, interests, or activities ✓
- C Emotional reciprocity AND executive function deficits
- D Social cognition AND sensory processing abnormalities
Correct answer: B. Social communication/interaction AND restricted, repetitive patterns of behaviour, interests, or activities
Explanation
DSM-5 restructured previous DSM-IV categories (Autistic Disorder, Asperger's, PDD-NOS) into a single ASD diagnosis requiring deficits in: (1) social communication and social interaction (across multiple contexts) AND (2) restricted, repetitive patterns of behaviour, interests, or activities. Language delay is no longer a criterion — it is captured as a specifier 'with or without accompanying language impairment'. Symptoms must be present in early development (may manifest later when social demands exceed capacity) and cause significant functional impairment.
Reference: Kaplan & Sadock's Synopsis of Psychiatry, 11th ed.
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