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What Is Progressive Developmental Disorder?

Progressive developmental disorders are brain disorders that are manifested by age 3. PDDs affect children's communication and social skills.

  1. Types

    • Progressive developmental disorders include autism, Rett's, Asperger's and childhood disintegrative disorders. PDD-NOS, or pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified, is diagnosed if symptoms do not meet specific criteria for these types.

    Prevalence of PDD

    • According to Autism Speaks.org, "it is estimated that one in every 150 children is diagnosed with autism." Further statistics show the rate of autism to be growing by about 10 to 17 percent a year.

    DSM-IV Criteria

    • Pervasive developmental disorders meet specific criteria, according to the fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual Of Mental Disorders. Strong indicators of progressive developmental disorders include poor social interactions, difficulty with communication skills, and exhibiting repetitive behavior, interests and activities. PDDs are described by intense impairment in development.

    Labels

    • Guidelines for determining progressive developmental disorder-type symptoms are confusing, according to schoolbehavior.com. As a result, distinguishing the type of PDD a patient has can be difficult.

    Causes

    • PDDs have no known cause. Scientific research offers explanations, according to AutismSpeaks.org. Possible causes include genetics, exposure to toxins in the environment in vitro and immune system function.

    Early Signs

    • Social interactions of children with PDDs include lack of suitable eye contact for their age, lack of happy expressions, little sharing of interest or emotions and delayed reaction to name. Communication is usually marked by minimal gestures and an inability to respond to nonverbal signals. A child with PDD often has a strange changes or peculiar quality in tone of voice, modest variation in pitch, and an atypical rhythm of speech. Behaviors seen in a child with PDD manifest in stereotyped or repetitive movements with objects.

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