The Diagnostic Statistical Manual 4th edition ("DSM-IV") may not be a text that is familiar to some parents, but it is considered one of the primary texts to determine whether a person has depression, ADHD or other psychological issues that are defined in the text. Very often determinations in special education are based on the application of criteria found in the DSM-IV or near verbatim copies of the text embodied in state law. It is THE standard that influences many decisions both clinically and educationally. It now appears that the yard stick may not be perfectly objective.
A recent report from the New Scientist has found that a disturbingly high number of the editors of the DSM-IV have financial ties to the drug companies. A variant on the golden rule states "he who has the gold makes the rule." Even an appearance of such influence for such an important and definitive text is troubling. In the future there will be better financial disclosures, but no movement to sever the financial ties between the editors of the DSM-IV and the drug companies. In this area too, parents are left to research, question, probe and analyze information for themselves.