What is Pervasive Developmental Disorder?
The diagnostic category Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD) is an umbrella term for a group of disorders characterised by delays in the development of multiple basic functions including social understanding, behaviour and communication. The five disorders in this group are:
- Autism
- Rett Syndrome
- Childhood Disintegrative Disorder
- Asperger Syndrome
- Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified, or PDD-NOS
The most commonly known PDD is Autism.
Parents may notice symptoms of PDD as early as infancy and typically onset is prior to 3 years of age. PDD itself generally does not affect life expectancy.
There is a division among doctors on the use of the term PDD. Many use the term PDD as a short way of saying PDD-NOS. Others use the general category label of PDD because they are careful to diagnose very young children with a specific type of PDD, such as autism. Both approaches cause confusion about the term, because the term PDD actually refers to a category of disorders and is not a diagnosis on its own.
