Specific Learning Disabilities in DSM-5: Are the changes for better or worse?1

Abstract

DSM-5, the fifth edition of the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, was published in May 2013, amidst a storm of controversy. This article focuses on changes made to the diagnostic criteria for Specific Learning Disorders (SLD). Primary criticisms of the changes in the SLD concern the aggregation of the DSM-IV subtypes into one overarching category, the failure to codify Dyslexia as a distinct type of SLD, and the inclusion of response to intervention as one component of the criteria. This article first summarizes the historical perspectives on SLD. Next, the changes made to the diagnostic criteria are presented, followed by a discussion of the rationale and evidence on which the changes were based. It concludes with a discussion of the possible impact on clinical practice, research and policy.