INDT-ASD: an autism diagnostic tool for Indian children. Developmental pediatrician's perspective.

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders, Version IV Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR), published by the American Psychiatric Association in 1994 (revision in 2000), defines Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) as a disorder characterized by qualitative impairments in social interaction, with varying degrees of difficulties in communication and marked repetitive behaviors or restricted interests. Version 5 (DSM-5), published in 2013, has made significant changes in the proposed criteria for autism diagnosis and classification, although almost all the core features from the DSM-IV TR still prevail [1]. Studies worldwide estimate that the prevalence of ASD has been increasing, with the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reporting it to be around 1%. There are no actual figures for the Indian population, but it is estimated that there are around 2.3 million affected children in India [2].