Skip to main content

Autism Spectrum Disorder in DSM-IV and ICD-10

Autism Spectrum Disorder is a collection of disorders related to autism. Clinicians in Australia use two references that describe ASD/PDD and its subtypes. The two references are:

  • The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition, (DSM-IV) is published by the American Psychiatric Association.
  • The World Health Organisation publishes the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, tenth revision (ICD-10).

The following table shows relationships between clinical terms and their sources.

Pervasive Developmental Disorders

DSM-IV ICD-10
299.00 Autistic Disorder F84.0 Childhood Autism
F84.1 Atypical Autism
299.80 Rett’s Disorder F84.2 Rett’s Syndrome
299.10 Childhood Disintegrative Disorder F84.3 Childhood Disintegrative Disorder
F84.4 Overactive disorder associated with mental retardation and stereotyped movements
299.80 Asperger’s Disorder F84.5 Asperger’s Syndrome
F84.8 Other pervasive developmental disorders
299.80 Pervasive Developmental Disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS)
(including Atypical Autism)
F84.9 Pervasive developmental disorders, unspecified

PDD-NOS in the DSM-IV includes F84.1, F84.8 and F84.9 from the ICD-10

The conditions labelled F84.2, F84.3 and F84.4 are considered rare. There is debate as to whether they are part of the Autism Spectrum.

“High-functioning Autism” (HFA) appears to mean Autistic Disorder (F84.0) with an IQ>70. It is not a formal category in either of these classifications.