Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) is a term that often confuses parents. That’s because some professionals use it interchangeably with “autism,” while others refer to the two as distinct conditions. Sometimes in medical reference books you will see both terms listed side by side, as in “Autism/Pervasive Developmental Disorder,” with the same definition for both. So the question becomes… what exactly is pervasive developmental disorder, and how does it differ from autism?
The answer is that, according to the DSM-IV-TR (American Psychiatric Association, 2000) a reference book used to identify disabilities, pervasive developmental disorder is actually a large umbrella term describing a number of disorders with autistic-like characteristics. These characteristics include problems and limitations with social interactions, delayed or impaired language skills, the lack of imaginary play or abstract reasoning, repetitive behaviors, irregular motor behaviors, and resistance to change or difficulty transitioning between activities.
Under the “umbrella” of pervasive developmental disorders are more specific diagnoses such as:
In other words, it would be accurate to say that a child with Asperger’s Syndrome has pervasive developmental disorder, because the former falls under the broader category of the latter.
If a child cannot be diagnosed specifically with one of the above conditions, he might be classified as pervasive development disorder not otherwise specified or PDD-NOS. This might mean that the child has numerous autistic characteristics but not enough to diagnose him with a specific known condition. Pervasive developmental disorder is the “catch all” phrase that puts a name to the child’s general symptoms.
Children with pervasive developmental disorders (PDD) are eligible for special education, according to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA).
Kristyn Crow is the author of this blog. Visit her website by clicking here.
For more information on pervasive developmental disorders, see these websites:
National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke