It has been revealed that the American Psychiatric Association has been approached to revise the autism definition. A study that has proposed the change has led to controversy in which parents and health experts have called the change to be unneeded.

As per the reported information, the proposed change in the definition would be applicable by 2013. This change is said to exclude 25% of the newly diagnosed autistic children. This has raised concerns among the public who have affirmed that if changes get applicable then their children who have been suffering mild form of autism would not be able to get the desired treatment.

However, it is also said that no confirm decision would be taken till the time all parents get assured that the move would be beneficial for their children suffering from autism. Dr. David J. Kupfer, who is Chairman of the task force making the revisions, said that the definition is still subject to change.

Kupfer said that in the last few years, children with autism have increased by four times. This has led to shrinkage of resources and resultant of which, newly diagnosed children are not able to get treatments. So, if the definition comes into practice, then autism treatments would be defined and children would be getting only those treatments which are meant for them.

Such is not the case till now, as doctors provide majority of all the treatments to autistic children thinking that one or the other treatment would work for a child.

This is the reason that parents have now got scared that their children might get very less therapies or it could also happen that the definition would exclude their child from being classified as an autistic. Till now, no decision has been taken and the association is open for further suggestions.