Do you remember the character Cassandra from Greek mythology?  Her curse was that she could accurately predict the future, but nobody would believe her when she warned them about it.

Today I feel like Cassandra.

In 2009, I wrote a blog post about the impending changes to the definition of "autism" in the DSM-V.  I wrote about my concerns about how these changes would likely impact my clients diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders.  Here we are  in 2012, and all over the news this week is coverage about the changes with the DSM-V...and how they could dramatically impact people diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders.

Sometimes I hate being right.

My personal favorite in the coverage were the claims that the change in the diagnosis would effectively "eliminate the autism epidemic."  Really?  As if all of those medical doctors and clinical psychologists who have been diagnosing kids with ASD all these years were really just seeing something that didn't exist?

So do I have this right?  All of those kids that are now diagnosed with PDD-NOS or Asperger's Disorder are going to suddenly wake up next year on the morning after the American Psychiatric Association passes the DSM-V and they will be cured?  Wow.  That's some power the APA has!  Let's think of what we want them to cure next!