WASHINGTON (February 10, 2010)--The American Psychiatric Association is looking for public input on proposed changes to its diagnostic manual.

Until May, the APA wants to hear from laymen as well as professionals about such changes as "intellectual disability" instead of "mental retardation" or referring to Asperger's syndrome as a mild form of autism.

Debate over the proposed changes is expected to be lively.

One woman with Asperger's Syndrome notes that school autism services are often geared to help lower-functioning children, while kids with Asperger's are usually high functioning.

Other proposed changes would identify compulsive gambling as a behavioral addiction, and create a new category of learning disabilities including reading and math.

The proposed update to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders would be the first since 1994.