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Pervasive Developmental Disorder
Pervasive Developmental Disorder & Autism Spectrum Disorder are one and the
same, both these terms are just separate ways of describing autism and conditions which
are similar to autism. The word Development emphasis that the problem is found early in
the child’s life. Pervasive describes the many areas of the child’s development that are
affected. Autism Spectrum Disorder, although the disorder is pervasive, it does not affect
every aspect of development. This term is criticized because it describes the nature of
autistic features. There are many more children with autism spectrum disorder than there
are children with autism alone.
P D D
Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) is a category that was appointed by the
American Psychiatric Association to children with delay in their social /language/motor
and/or cognitive development. A child may have delays in social development and delays in
one or more of the other areas.
Pervasive Developmental Disorder / PDD
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The behaviors of children with a PDD can vary tremendously. PDD is not one disorder but a category that surrounds a wide
range of delays, differs enormously in developmental domains. Autism is the most severe of the pervasive developmental
disorders. Autism is a primary disturbance in the individual's ability to relate to others. Language delay and cognitive delays
are also common.
PDD-NOS or Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified. This is a diagnosis given to a child who exhibits
impairment in the development of reciprocal social interaction, verbal and non-verbal communication, or when autistic
tendencies are present. Some of the symptoms might be extreme difficulty attending to the pertinent aspects of the
environment or aggression towards self or others. Many parents may notice self injurious behaviors, self-injury may be a
form of self-stimulatory. They are repetitive, ritualistic behaviors which provide the child with some form of sensory
stimulation and satisfaction.
Some children engage in this behavior to obtain attention from other people. Some
children exhibit self-injury to escape or avoid a task. Other possibilities that these
behaviors could be related to hypersensitivity to certain sound in the environment.
Education
Although there is no cure, autism does respond to behavioral and educational treatment.
Research suggests that early intervention is especially effective in achieving growth in
cognitive and communication skills. There are a variety of intervention programs that
have been designed specifically to help children with autism. Parents may hear that one
or more of these ( "Floor Time," "FastForWord," "ABA," "Auditory Integration
Training," or "Social Stories") is the intervention that a child must have to make
progress.
Unfortunately, there is little evidence to support the claim that any one intervention
program will guarantee progress for all children with autism. Like children everywhere,
children with autism differ from each other. Like all children, they differ in terms of their IQs, their interests, their
strengths, and their educational needs. An intervention program must be individually designed, with the help of experienced
professionals, so that it is fit to the strengths, interests and needs of each child with autism.
In general, effective behavioral programs, such as ABA, are often helpful in setting behaviors the child does not show
spontaneously. But these programs will need to use more natural approaches that encourage the child to use newly learned
behaviors in real life situations. Successful intervention programs usually involve a mix of highly structured environment and
natural activities and have the following:
Individualized sessions
Specialized curriculum for children with autism
Strong communication
Family involvement
Set arranged, structured teaching
Intensive therapy (at least 20 hours/week)
Developmentally appropriate exercises
Some contact with typical peers
Parents should be wary of any intervention that promises a cure or suggests that its method is the only effective approach.
Parents should also suspect any program that requires parents to personally pay high fees. Children with autism are entitled
to public educational services and legitimate services should be provided by public agencies. Parents should not be obligated
to pay for educational services themselves.
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