Pervasive Development Disorders
The term "pervasive development disorders" (PDDs)
refers to a group of conditions that involve delays in the development of many
basic skills, most notably the ability to socialize with others, to communicate
and to use imagination. Children with these conditions often are confused in
their thinking and generally have problems understanding the world around
them.
Because these conditions typically are identified in children
around 3 years of age—a critical period in a child's development—they are
called development disorders. Although the condition begins far earlier than 3
years of age, parents often do not notice a problem until the child is a
toddler who is not walking, talking or developing as well as other children of
the same age.
What Conditions Are Considered Pervasive Development Disorders?
There are five types of PDDs:
- Autism: Children with autism have problems with social interaction, pretend play and communication.
They also have a limited range of activities and interests. Many (nearly 75%)
of children with autism also have some degree of mental retardation.
- Asperger's syndrome: Like children with autism, children with Asperger's syndrome have difficulty
with social interaction and communication, and have a narrow range of
interests. However, children with Asperger's have average or above average
intelligence, and develop normally in the areas of language and cognition (the
mental processes related to thinking and learning). Children with Asperger's
often also have difficulty concentrating and may have poor coordination.
- Childhood disintegrative disorder: Children with this rare condition
begin their development normally in all areas, physical and mental. At some
point, usually between 2 and 10 years of age, a child with this illness loses
many of the skills he or she has developed. In addition to the loss of social
and language skills, a child with disintegrative disorder may lose control of
other functions, including bowel and bladder control.
- Rett's syndrome: Children with this very rare disorder have the
symptoms associated with a PDD and also suffer problems with physical
development. They generally suffer the loss of many motor or movement, skills—such as walking and use of their hands—and develop poor coordination.
This condition has been linked to a defect on the X chromosome, so it almost
always affects girls.
- Pervasive development disorder not otherwise specified (PDDNOS): This category is used to refer to children who have significant problems with
communication and play, and some difficulty interacting with others, but are
too social to be considered autistic.
Next: What are the symptoms of pervasive development disorders? »
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From the Doctors at MedicineNet.com  |
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- Autism - Learn about the 3 symptoms associated with autism: impairment in social interaction, communication, and behavior. Causes, signs, diagnosis, and treatment information is also included in the autism spectrum disorders information.
Source:MedicineNet
- Auditory Processing Disorder in Children - Learn about Auditory Processing Disorder and other hearing problems in Children. Source:Government
- Mental Illness in Children - Learn about types of mental illness in children: anxiety disorder, bedwetting, schizophrenia and eating disorder. Plus, get information on causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and prevention. Source:WebMD Medical Reference from The Cleveland Clinic
- Read 8 more Pervasive Development Disorders related articles ...
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