New parents look forward to watching their children grow and develop. When a child is
diagnosed with PDD, parents struggle to come to terms with the child’s disorder. Many
parents mourn the fact that their child may never learn to engage in normal activities.
They need information and support to resolve these feelings and to help them focus on the
tasks before them.
The DSM-IV outlines five forms of pervasive developmental disorder: autistic disorder,
Asperger’s disorder, childhood disintegrative disorder, Rett's disorder, and PDD-not
otherwise specified. The most common, autism, becomes apparent in childhood and affects
about 1 in 1000 children. Although it is three to four times more common in boys than
girls, girls with the disorder tend to have more severe symptoms. Below are resources
featuring these important disorders.
4. MEDSCAPE Sexual Differences in Pervasive Developmental Disorders
The author discusses the characteristics of children with PDD, how girls differ from boys, and diagnosis, assessment, and treatment issues. (Free Medscape registration required to access the article.)
5. AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS (AAP) The Treatment of Neurologically Impaired Children Using Patterning
This is the AAP's recently released policy statement on the use of patterning as a
treatment for children with conditions such as autism.
8. AMERICAN FAMILY PHYSICIAN Evaluation and Management of the Child with Speech Delay
Those with autism often have difficulty using and understanding language. This article gives an overview of normal speech development and possible etiology of speech problems. http://www.aafp.org/afp/990600ap/3121.html
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