MedicineNet.com
About Us | Privacy Policy | Site Map
February 9, 2010
MedicineNet home Picture Slideshows Diseases and conditions Symptoms and signs Procedures and tests Medications Picture Image Collection MedTerms medical dictionary Pet Health
Font Size
A
A
A


The Cleveland Clinic

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? »

Printer-Friendly Format  |  Email to a Friend


Suggested Reading by Our Doctors
MedicineNet Doctors
  • Detecting Hearing Loss in Children - Read about tests used for identifying hearing loss in children, treatment information, causes, risk factors and signs of hearing impairment, and learn about degrees of hearing loss.
  • 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.
  • Asperger Syndrome - Learn about Asperger syndrome characteristics such as limited interests, repetitive routines, speech and language peculiarities, social and emotional inappropriate behavior, and more.

Latest Medical News


Women's Health

Find out what women really need.


Are you Depressed? Take the Quiz

Your Guide to Symptoms & Signs: Pinpoint Your Pain



Pervasive Development Disorders

What is Asperger syndrome?

Asperger syndrome (AS) is a developmental disorder that is characterized by: 1

  • limited interests or an unusual preoccupation with a particular subject to the exclusion of other activities
  • repetitive routines or rituals
  • peculiarities in speech and language, such as speaking in an overly formal manner or in a monotone, or taking figures of speech literally
  • socially and emotionally inappropriate behavior and the inability to interact successfully with peers
  • problems with non-verbal communication, including the restricted use of gestures, limited or inappropriate facial expressions, or a peculiar, stiff gaze
  • clumsy and uncoordinated motor movements

Asperger syndrome is an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), one of a distinct group of neurological conditions characterized by a greater or lesser degree of impairment in language and communication...

Read the Asperger Syndrome article »










Health categories:

Slideshows | Diseases & Conditions | Symptoms & Signs | Procedures & Tests | Medications | Image Collection | Medical Dictionary | Pet Health

Popular health centers:

Allergies | Arthritis | Blood Pressure | Cancer | Chronic Pain | Cold & Flu | Diabetes | Digestion | Eyesight | Health & Living | Healthy Kids

Hearing & Ear | Heart | Infectious Disease | Men's Health | Mental Health | News & Views | Pregnancy | Sexual Health | Skin | Women's Health | More...

MedicineNet.com:

About Us | Newsletters | RSS Feeds | Privacy Policy | Site Map | WebMD® | Medscape® | eMedicine® | eMedicineHealth® | RxList®

This website is certified by Health On the Net Foundation. Click to verify. This site complies to the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information:
verify here.

©1996-2010 MedicineNet, Inc. All rights reserved. Notices and Legal Disclaimer.
MedicineNet does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See additional information.