New Jersey Administrative Code › Title 8 - HEALTH › Chapter 20 - BIRTH DEFECTS REGISTRY › Subchapter 2 - AUTISM › Section 8:20-2.2 - Definitions

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 14, July 15, 2024
The following words and terms, when used in this subchapter,
				  shall have the following meanings unless the context clearly indicates
				  otherwise.
"Asperger Syndrome" means a disorder defined by DSM criteria
				  (criteria 299.80) and marked by clinically significant impairments in social
				  interaction and the presence of restricted, repetitive and stereotyped patterns of
				  behavior, interests and activities. There are no clinically significant delays in
				  the development of language, cognition, self-help skills or adaptive behavior. These
				  criteria are not met for another specific pervasive developmental disorder.
"Autism" means a developmental disability as defined by DSM
				  criteria, and diagnosed according to standard DSM criteria, which is marked by
				  significant impairments in social interaction and communication and the presence of
				  unusual behaviors and interests. Autism includes the following diagnoses commonly
				  known as the Autism Spectrum Disorders: Asperger Syndrome; Autistic Disorder; and
				  Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not otherwise Specified; and the Pervasive
				  Developmental Disorders, including Rett Syndrome and Childhood Disintegrative
				  Disorder, the causes of which are currently not known.
"Autistic disorder" means a disorder defined by DSM criteria
				  (criteria 299.00) and marked by qualitative impairments in social interaction and
				  communication and the presence of repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behavior
				  with onset prior to three years of age and that is not better accounted for by Rett
				  Syndrome or Childhood Disintegrative Disorder.
"Child" means an individual from birth through 21 years of
				  age.
"Childhood Disintegrative Disorder" means a disorder as defined by
				  DSM criteria (criteria 299.10) and that appears after at least two years of normal
				  development after birth and results in the clinically significant loss of previously
				  acquired skills in at least two areas of functioning (language, social skills,
				  adaptive behavior, bowel/bladder control, play or motor skills) before age 10. There
				  are abnormalities of functioning in social interaction, communication and the
				  presence of restricted and stereotyped patterns of behavior and is not better
				  accounted for by another pervasive developmental disorder or by
				  schizophrenia.
"Custodian" means a person, financial institution or agency that
				  has charge or custody of property, securities, papers and other such assets of an
				  individual.
"DSM criteria" means the professional standard behavioral criteria
				  for autism published in the American Psychiatric Association: Diagnostic and
				  Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) (criteria 299.0 -
				  299.90), Washington DC, American Psychiatric Association, 2000, which is
				  incorporated herein by reference, as amended and supplemented. Copies of DSM-IV may
				  be obtained from the American Psychiatric Association, 1400 K Street, N.W.,
				  Washington, D.C., 20005.
"Health care professional" means a physician, psychologist and any
				  other health care professional licensed pursuant to Title 45 of the Revised Statutes
				  and who is qualified by training to make a diagnosis of autism.
"Legal guardian" means a person who has the legal authority to
				  care for the personal and property interests of another person.
"Parent" means a biological parent, stepparent or adoptive
				  parent.
"Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified" means a
				  disorder defined by DSM criteria (criteria 299.80) and marked by severe and
				  pervasive impairment in the development of social interaction or verbal and
				  non-verbal communication or when stereotyped behavior, interests and activities are
				  present but the criteria are not met for a specific pervasive developmental
				  disorder. This category includes "atypical autism."
"Rett Syndrome" means a disorder defined by DSM criteria (criteria
				  299.80) and that appears after apparently normal prenatal and perinatal development
				  and which results in severe impairment in expressive and receptive language, loss of
				  social engagement, retardation of psychomotor development, loss of previously
				  acquired purposeful hand skills and the development of stereotyped hand movements.