Assistive Technology for Persons With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Several incurable neurological conditions are described in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV-TR (DSM-IV-TR): autistic disorder (AD), Asperger’s syndrome (AS), and pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS). Each condition has varying degrees of communication deficit, social impairment, and problem behaviors. In addition, there are other complications described by Joel Bregman: limits in adaptive skills, learning disabilities, physical challenges, depression, motor skill issues, anxiety disorders, mood disorders, cognitive impairment, intellectual and sensory challenges, bouts of aggression, perseveration (inability to modify one’s behavior and adjust one’s mindset when given feedback or changing conditions), and self-injurious behaviors. The American Psychological Association published the DSM-IV-TR in 2000; it includes diagnostic labels discussed in this entry.

In May 2013, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) published an updated document, DSM–V, ...