The DSM IV, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual Fourth Edition, is the official diagnostic manual of the American Psychiatric Association. Published in 1994, the fourth edition was revised in 2000. In 2013 the Fourth Edition will be replaced with the Fifth Edition, currently under discussion.
The DSM IV is considered the gold standard of diagnosis. It is the basis for all diagnoses of disabilities, although those diagnoses are supported with other assessments, such as standardized intelligence tests like the WISC. Controversy accompanies the manual, since it establishes the standard for diagnosis. In the 1950's the DSM defined homosexuality as a psychological disorder. There is controversy surrounding the proposed fifth edition, because it recommends that Asperger's Syndrome no longer be a separate diagnosis, but instead be considered a place on the Autism Spectrum.
