UNDERSTANDING YOUR CHILD’S DIAGNOSIS

BY SHARON CLARK

We receive many enquiries from parents wanting information about the diagnosis that their child has been given. Understandably there is a lot of confusion over the different diagnostic terms that are used. The questions that we are most often asked are:

§ What is PDD?

§ How is PDD different from Autism and Aspergers Disorder?

First, PDD is an abbreviation of the term Pervasive Developmental Disorder, which officially came into use in 1980 to refer to a category pf disorders to which Autism and Apergers Disorder belong. Put simply, it is an umbrella term which covers a group of disorders, including Autism and Aspergers Disorder as well as Rett's Disorder, Childhood Degenerative Disorder and Pervasive Developmental Disorder – Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS). The name Pervasive Developmental Disorders is simply a description of the nature of this group of disorders. They are pervasive in that they affect every area of the individual’s development and they are developmental in that they present from very early in life and affect the course of the child’s development (unlike a disorder acquired later in life when the individual has already learned many skills).

A source of confusion about the term PDD is that most people use “PDD” as a shorthand way of referring to Pervasive Developmental Disorder – Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS). This term is used to describe children who have difficulties in multiple areas, which are similar to those experienced by children with autism, but do not meet the formal requirements for a diagnosis of Autism or another disorder. Sometimes clinicians report that a child “meets the criteria for PDD-NOS” when, in fact, there is not a set of formal diagnostic criteria for PDD-NOS. It is simply a way of recognising that the child has significant developmental difficulties of a type similar to autism, but does not currently fit any existing diagnosis. Whilst research into this condition is quite limited at present, it does appear that it is much more common than autism, but requires similar forms of treatment. If children do not have additional developmental problems, research further indicates that PDD-NOS may have a better outcome than autism.

Additional confusion also exists as some individuals assume the PDD-NOS is the sane as Aspergers Disorder. This is not correct as Aspergers Disorder is explicitly defined as a separate disorder, for children who have social deficits as in autism, but whose language and cognitive skills have developed normally, at least in their early years. Other features of Aspergers Disorder include the intense personal interests, which they pursue with great intensity, often to the detriment of other developmental areas. Motor delays and clumsiness are also often seen in Aspergers Disorder.

Research into PDD-NOS is increasing, so it is likely that more information will become available as to its relationship to autism in the near future.