Posted on July 3, 2009 in latest news
Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD) is the name given to a group of disorders which affect the social and communication skills of affected children. The typical age by which symptoms of Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD) are noticed in children is 3 years.
The disorders which make up Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD) are:
- Pervasive development disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS). This includes all disorders which cannot be classified as any particular disorder. The most common disorder in this segment is atypical autism.
- Autism
- Asperger Syndrome
- Rett Syndrome
- Childhood Disintegrative Disorder (CDD)
There is a lot of confusion about how to use the term PDD. Some doctors use PDD as a short form for PDD-NOS. Some doctors use PDD to denote any of the five disorders.
Symptoms of Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD)
- Problems in understanding and using language
- Inability to relate to objects and people
- Lack of emotional connection with people
- Avoiding eye contact with people
- Unusual methods of playing with toys
- Difficulty in coping with change in surroundings and people
- Inexplicable and repetitive body movements
Causes of Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD)
Scientists are not quite sure what causes PDD. They theorize that they may be neurobiological disorders, with a genetic basis.
Some studies seem to suggest that environmental factors like toxins may be a factor. But it is still to be proved scientifically.
Incidence of PDD has nothing to do with quality of parenting.
Facts about Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD)
- There is no known cure for Pervasive Developmental Disorders.
- Medications are used to decrease the intensity of some symptoms.
- Therapy is given to children according to specific needs.
- Some children do well in small classrooms where individual attention is given; some others are better suited for special schools. Some might even manage in regular schools with additional support.
- Diagnosing PDD early in a child’s life is crucial.
- PDDs do not affect the longevity of life. A PDD patient has the possibility of living as long as anybody else.
- Some people recommend calling these children different, rather than suffering from a disorder.
- Autism is the best known kind of PDD.
- There are various degrees of PDD. Some children do not speak at all, some speak a little and some can communicate quite normally.
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