We have just received feedback from the DSM committee.
The good news is that the committee is obviously taking our application for recognition of SPD very seriously. The long and extremely detailed letter from the DSM committee chair, Dr. Danny Pine at the National Institutes of Health, clearly showed that we are regarded as credible scientists who have submitted an important application to consider as a separate and valid diagnosis.
At the same time, it is evident from the committee's letter that the standards for recognition of new diagnoses in the DSM are much more rigorous than they were in the past. Dr. Pine's preliminary letter suggested that the DSM committee will need to see much more science before they will include the disorder in the next edition.
Fortunately, we probably have until 2010 to conduct the studies they want to see. Also, because of the collaborative work groups we have mobilized in the last several years, we are no longer alone. Ultimately, however, funding (money!) will determine how much research is completed and how thoroughly we satisfy the DSM committee's requirements. We can get a lot done in a couple years if we have enough money.
Overall, we are encouraged. We never expected the committee to embrace SPD without asking for more research. They could have rejected our application out of hand, and they did not. Yes, they raised the bar, but at least we're still in the race. We know that they are taking the application to recognize SPD very seriously, and we know what we need to do next.
Onward and upward!