"Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD) are a class of conditions to which Autism, Asperger's,
Rett Syndrome and others belong. It is not a diagnosis in and of itself. It is simply a descriptive term. Each of the PDD conditions has specific diagnostic criteria which must be met in order to satisfy the requirements of the DSM IV.
Sometimes, all of the criteria for a true diagnosis are not met. There are symptoms or behaviors missing, so that the condition can not be fully met. For example, the criteria of marked deficiencies in social interaction may not be present.
There are deficiencies, but they are not of the degree needed to meet the requirements for a diagnosis of Autism, Asperger's or any other diagnosis.
As a result, a category to fit this situation was developed. It is called
Pervasive Developmental Disorder/Not Otherwise Specified (PDD/NOS).
Unfortunately, the diagnosis has also been used by treating sources who are not knowledgable enough to make an accurate diagnosis, and are looking for a label to place on a child without taking the time to make an accurate diagnosis. For this reason, sometimes a diagnosis will change as further evaluations are made." From About.com PDD Overview
Speechville Express
is a resource for families, educators, and medical professionals, offering
information about language development in children, helping those who
care for toddlers and young children who are late talkers, and connecting
you with others who have been down this road. Language disorders and
communication impairments included are apraxia, stuttering, pervasive
developmental disorder, dysarthria, and aphasia, among others.
aphasia
