What is pdd

Repetitive play skills and limited social skills are generally evident. Unusual responses to sensory information, such as loud noises and lights, are also common. There is no known cure for PDD. Medications are used to address specific behavioral problems; therapy for children with PDD should be specialized according to need. Some children with PDD benefit from specialized classrooms in which the class size is small and instruction is given on a one-to-one basis.

Others function well in standard special education classes or regular classes with additional support. Early intervention including appropriate and specialized educational programs and support services plays a critical role in improving the outcome of individuals with PDD. PDD is not fatal and does not affect normal life expectancy. Skip to main content. Submit Search. You are here Home » Disorders » All Disorders. Pervasive Developmental Disorders Information Page.

What research is being done? See More About Research. Show More. Show Less. PDD-NOS was diagnosed prior to when an individual had impairment in social skills, the inability to successfully interact with other people, problems with verbal or nonverbal communication, or stereotyped behavior, interests, and activities. Read on to learn more about what PDD-NOS was, what the current diagnostic criteria says, and how the condition is diagnosed and treated today.

Since , the symptoms of ASD now fall into two categories, which include:. Individuals with autism spectrum disorder are evaluated based on the severity of these symptoms, and the severity is determined based on the level of support they need in each category.

The categories have unique symptoms. When diagnosing ASD, medical professionals rate the level of support a person needs for their day-to-day functioning on a scale of one to three for each of the two categories.

ASD is a very complex condition, and not all of the causes are known. Genetically speaking, mutations may be a contributing factor, but science is currently inconclusive on this. ASD is often described as genetically heterogeneous meaning it may have many causes. Additionally ASD may be associated with certain genetic disorders such as fragile X syndrome or Rett syndrome. As with possible genetic causes, researchers are continuing to investigate potential environmental causes and other risk factors for ASD.

Some examples of topics that are being investigated include:. Currently, the risk factors for ASD can include:. In addition, if a pregnant person takes certain prescription drugs that have been linked to ASD, it raises the risk. Some people worry that ASD may be associated with childhood vaccinations. As such, this has been a very heavy area of study over many years. However, research has found no link between vaccines or their components and the development of ASD.

Has difficulty coping with change. May avoid strangers or new activities due to fear and anxiety. Develops routines and rituals and may stay involved with them for long periods or be upset if interrupted. May want to be in control of situations and may become very successful at manipulating people in order to maintain control.

Cognitive May have learning difficulties. May have poor memory and attention span resulting in difficulty persisting with activities. Requires repetition of instructions or directions and may require time to process before responding or acting.

May have difficulty understanding concepts such as turn taking, sharing or how to enter into play situations. Resistant to change and very rigid in routine. Poor non-verbal communication. Difficulty with fine and gross motor skills.

Difficulties accessing the school curriculum. Poor conversational skills and may talk too much or too little. Fails to notice that other people are not interested in what they are saying. Social stories to help teach the child how to act in given situations. Use of visual cues to describe the routine. Visual cues are especially useful when preparing for changes in routine.

Social stories: Providing ideas and education around social story development. School transition: Advocating and professionally supporting the transition to school and liaising with teachers, as required. Behaviour management: Teaching families to use a consistent approach to manage behaviour e. Structure and routine: Supporting families in providing structure and routine so that the child has clear information about what is going to be happening and what will be expected of the child.

This allows the child the chance to prepare for the event and to work out how to behave appropriately. Sensory processing: Improving sensory processing of the child so they are able to demonstrate their skills across a wider variety of environments. Pre-warning: Giving advance notice of change to routine and instructing parents and teachers of appropriate strategies to implement in other environments.

Speech Therapy approaches and activities that can support the child with Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified PDD-NOS or their carers include: Speech and Language assessment to help the family to understand how the child is processing, understanding, learning and using language and communication. Communication strategies: Providing the family with strategies and techniques to increase and enhance communication with the child.

Daily activities: Developing understanding of the environment, routines and language. Developing language: Helping the child to understand and use richer language and to use language more spontaneously.

Conversation skills: Developing conversation skills e. Concept skills: Developing concept skills, especially abstract concepts, such as time e. Social skills: Development of social skills i. Enhancing verbal and non-verbal communication including natural gestures, speech, signs, pictures and written words.

Visual strategies: Using visual information to help a child to understand, organise and plan the routine for the day.