Pervasive Developmental Disorder

pervasive developmental disorder (PDD), any of a group of conditions characterized by early-childhood onset and by varying degrees of impairment of language acquisition, communication, social behaviour, and motor function.

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There are five types of PDDs. These include the three known autism spectrum disorders—autism, Asperger syndrome, and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS)—as well as childhood disintegrative disorder (CDD) and Rett syndrome. Most PDDs are characterized by deficits in a child’s ability to interact socially and by one or more abnormalities of childhood development. For example, children with PDD-NOS typically suffer from an inability to interact with others and from abnormalities in either communication or behaviour patterns and interests. In addition, some PDDs such as Asperger syndrome have little or no adverse effect on intelligence, whereas other PDDs, such as Rett syndrome and autism, can result in severe intellectual disability. Symptoms of autism spectrum disorders and CDD usually first appear around age three. In contrast, symptoms of Rett syndrome can appear before age one.

PDDs affect an estimated 30 in every 10,000 children. However, because the clinical definitions used to diagnose PDDs classified as autism spectrum disorders differ worldwide, the reported incidence of these specific disorders varies significantly. The most commonly occurring PDD is autism, which has been reported to affect as many as one in every 150 children in the United States. The least common PDDs are Rett syndrome and CDD, which appear to have a worldwide incidence of roughly one in 15,000 and one in 50,000–100,000 individuals, respectively. With the exception of Rett syndrome, which primarily affects females, PDDs occur more commonly in males than in females.

There is no curative treatment for PDDs; however, early intervention may alleviate some of the social and behavioral symptoms associated with the disorders. Some examples of treatment approaches include speech therapy, behaviour modification therapy, and medications to reduce depression or anxiety.