List date(s) this work was published or aired.
24-May-12
Provide a brief synopsis of the story or stories, including any significant findings.
Contrary to previous studies, preliminary results from field trials of the new criteria for diagnosing autism suggest it will capture people on the high-functioning end of the spectrum. The story was reported from the International Meeting for Autism Research in Toronto in May 2012.
Explain types of documents, data or Internet resources used. Were FOI or public records act requests required? How did this affect the work?
N/A
Explain types of human sources used.
The story was reported from an international autism conference held in May. I attended conference presentations and interviewed both presenting scientists and attendees.
Results:
We hope this story quelled some of the anxiety raised by previous reports on the new diagnostic criteria, which suggested that many children would lose access to services.
Follow-up (if any). Have you run a correction or clarification on the report or has anyone come forward to challenge its accuracy? If so, please explain.
We have not run any corrections or clarifications on these stories. We continue to follow the development of this story, including approval of the new guidelines by the American Psychiatric Association in December, and impending publication in May 2013.
Advice to other journalists planning a similar story or project.
It’s always tempting to write a disaster story, such as how a new policy will limit access to healthcare. But it’s worth digging deeper to look at the basis for those predictions. It’s also interesting to follow how experts’ opinions change over time. In this case, a number of people in the field were worried that changes to the diagnostic guidelines would reduce the number of people diagnosed with autism. But as additional evidence accumulated, a number of them changed their minds.