According to Schwitzer and Rubin, diagnosing an adult with autism is possible under DSM-5.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Not specified
• D. Depends on case

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is how DSM-5 handles diagnosing autism in adults by requiring evidence of symptoms from early development. Schwitzer and Rubin emphasize that DSM-5 criteria for autism assume a history of deficits that were present in childhood. Without reliable documentation or retrospective evidence of early onset, a confident diagnosis of autism in an adult isn’t supported under DSM-5. That’s why the statement is considered false—they argue that you can’t properly diagnose autism in an adult unless there’s clear evidence the symptoms started in childhood. In practice, clinicians seek developmental history, school records, and collateral reports to establish this early onset, and lacking it makes the diagnosis untenable. The other options don’t fit because the guidance isn’t that the diagnosis is not specified or purely case-dependent; it hinges on demonstrating early developmental onset.