ABSTRACT
Traditional approaches to developmental disorders have focused upon attempting to reliably and validly diagnose patients within categorical nomenclatures. Such efforts promote communication among professionals and are useful in the early stages of understanding of phenomena. As knowledge is acquired, however, the limitations of categorical diagnoses become apparent, and the understanding of mental health and developmental disorders is switching to a dimensional assessment process to further our knowledge and options. Dimensional assessment involves consideration of questions such as what, where, and how an individual’s difficulties might affect our patients’ lives.
