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Pervasive developmental disorder, otherwise known as autism spectrum disorder, is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects the development of social and communication skills. It typically shows characteristic features like difficulty in developing communication and engagement. In addition, the disorder also affects the ability to learn and behave. Moreover, the condition also shows patterns of repetitive behavior or interests.

Generally, pervasive developmental disorder usually begins in early childhood, with some children showing symptoms between 18 and 24 months of age. Typically, mean age for the diagnosis in children with ASD in the United States is between 3 and 7 years of age.

Pervasive developmental disorder Treatment

Pervasive Developmental Disorder:

Moreover, before 2013, Pervasive developmental disorder was classified into 5 different categories by the American Psychiatric Association in the DSM IV. As a result, the Pervasive developmental disorders included

  1. Autistic disorder
  2. Asperger syndrome
  3. Pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified.
  4. Rett syndrome
  5. Childhood disintegrating syndrome

However, in the year 2013, the American Psychiatric Association made changes to the DSM-IV, and eliminated pervasive developmental disorder in the DSM V edition. As a result, Pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified, Autistic disorder, and Asperger syndrome were all included under the category autism spectrum disorder.

Thus, pervasive developmental disorder is now under the label autism spectrum disorder.

Autistic disorder: The condition includes several symptoms like communication and social difficulties, and repetitive behavior. But previously severe cases of ASD were included under autistic disorder.

Asperger’s syndrome: This syndrome is characterized by milder symptoms that affect a person’s social and communication abilities and falls on the other end of the spectrum.

Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS): It is a diagnosis given to patients because they neither meet the full criteria of autistic disorder nor Asperger syndrome, but are in the middle of both diagnoses.

Levels Of Autism Spectrum Disorder:

Based on the type of support required under each category, there are 3 levels of autism spectrum disorder.

Level 1: It is the lowest level and patients falling under this category require support as they have symptoms like repressed social interaction and inadequate planning and organizing abilities.

Level 2: this level forms the middle tier of autism spectrum disorder. In this category, patients show difficulty in communicating verbally with others, have different and limited interests, and engage in repeated and regular behaviors. Consequently, these types of patients require substantial support.

Level 3: it is the highest and most severe level of ASD. In addition to the signs of levels 1 and 2, patients also show restricted capacity for social interaction and communication. However, the signs of levels 1 and 2 in this category are more severe and come with additional consequences. As a result, these patients require very substantial support.Pervasive Development Disorder

How Prevalent Is Autism Spectrum Disorder?

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that every 1 child out of 36 suffer from autism and in fact, in terms of gender, about 4% of boys and 1% of girls have autism.

Moreover, Pervasive developmental disorder stands as the most frequent type of the autism spectrum disorder among all the subtypes. And hence, it accounts for about 47% of all the types.

Causes / Risk Factors of PPD:

Several factors that may contribute and are furthermore responsible for the Pervasive developmental disorder (PPD) are:

  1. Genetic mutations
  2. Genetic abnormalities  – Fragile X syndrome and down syndrome
  3. Valproic acid and thalidomide when taken during pregnancy
  4. Sibling diagnosed with autism
  5. Birth of the child at advanced maternal age
  6. Environmental factors like infections or toxins together with genetic mutations
  7. Premature or low-weight birth

Symptoms:

The signs and symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder can be classified into categories. It is classified as absence of social communication and limited interests and repeated behavior.

Absence of social communication symptoms:

  1. Preventing eye contact
  2. Not able to control emotions
  3. Not able to relate with others
  4. Decreased proficiency in using non-verbal gestures
  5. Self-conscious or unnatural speech
  6. Challenges in navigating and maintaining friendships
  7. Struggle to engage in conversations
  8. Using high-pitched or flat-toned voice during a conversation

Limited interest and repeated behavior symptoms:

  1. Difficulty in maintaining routine
  2. Performing repetitive function
  3. Rigid behavior
  4. Difficulty in adapting to change
  5. Overly investing in a particular niche or subject
  6. Expecting others to show interest in those subjects
  7. Disliking loud sounds (sensory hypersensitivity)
  8. Stereotypical motions – flapping of hand, swaying, and spinning

Diagnosis Of PPD:

It is recommended that the medical practitioners should follow DSM-V criteria for the diagnosis of the autism spectrum disorder. In fact, it is advised by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) to begin examining all the children for PPD since the age of 18 to 24 months.

Diagnosis of ASD requires detection of symptoms and assessment of diagnostic tests. It is important to note that diagnosis cannot be solely made on the basis of symptoms observed in a single setting, as a result, healthcare providers take information along with the history of the patient from the teachers, family, and care takers.

Diagnostic Criteria:

It is to be noted that to diagnose ASD there are no specific tests like – blood tests, MRI scans, or brain test but assessment can be done based on the following criteria.

  1. Assessment of mother’s pregnancy history
  2. Sensory obstacles
  3. Developmental landmarks
  4. Family history of abnormalities in development
  5. Family history of genetic or metabolic abnormalities
  6. Evaluation of cognitive function
  7. Language proficiency assessment
  8. Tailored observational tests and interviews specific to autism

Off lately, autism-specific tools are preferred for the diagnosis of the disorder. They are the

  • Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition (ADOS-2),
  • Childhood Autism Rating Scales (CARS),
  • Autism Diagnostic Interview (ADI),
  • Screening Tool for Autism in Toddlers (STAT).

Treatment And Intervention Strategies:

Unfortunately, there is no cure for the disorder but medical practitioners or healthcare providers can manage the condition by developing patient-specific regimens. Thus, following are the intervention therapies that can be used based on the patient’s needs.

Autism Patient Success Stories

  1. Applied behavioral analysis: It involves improving a child’s functional capabilities and preventing unsuitable behavior by developing an articulated behavioral plan after analysis of the child’s functional capabilities.
  2. Social therapy: In this therapy, children are trained either individually or in groups to develop social skills.
  3. Language and speech therapy: Employing speech and language therapy sessions to improve language and speech proficiency.
  4. Occupational therapy: This therapy improves coordination and help in performing daily tasks.
  5. Parent management training: Parent support groups help parents by educating them on how to deal with the inappropriate behavior of their children and ways to improve it.
  6. Conducting special education classes for the children to improve their social skills, communication skills, and problematic behavior.
  7. If the patient is suffering from comorbid conditions like anxiety, insomnia, or depression then patient-specific antipsychotics or psychotherapy can be given.
  8. Furthermore, if the patient does not adapt to the behavioral therapy, then irritability can be decreased by medications like aripiprazole and risperidone. Moreover, FDA approved these medications in autism for the management of irritability.

Global Market Share of ASD Therapy:

In the year 2023, the size of the global market for the treatment of autism spectrum disorder reported at 2.21 billion dollars and ultimately is expected to grow to about 4 billion dollars by the year 2033. Thus, the growing number of ASD diagnoses is responsible for the increase in the global market for treatment.

Tips For Parents:

As ASD is common among children, so parents are the ones who are at the forefront of managing both the children and the condition. Therefore, the key tips for the parents are:

  1. Educate themselves about the autism spectrum disorder symptoms
  2. Connect with professionals and seek guidance
  3. Create a structured routine
  4. Understand the child’s condition and treatment plan
  5. Prioritize physical and mental well-being

Tips for the parents about Autism Spectrum Disorder

Key Takeaways:

  • Pervasive developmental disorder is now the subcategory of the autism spectrum disorder.
  • PPD is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects how a person interacts and communicates socially.
  • It affects early childhood. There is no specific diagnostic test or cure for pervasive developmental disorder. But implementation of different therapies, for instance,  can be helpful in managing the condition.

Latest Developments of PPD:

  • An AI tool named AutMedAI showed 80% prediction accuracy of autism in children aged 18 to 24 months according to the research published in JAMA network open.

FAQ’s

Q: What are the five types of pervasive developmental disorder?

Autistic disorder, Asperger syndrome, Pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified, Rett syndrome, and Childhood disintegrating syndrome are the five types of PPDs.

Q: Are pervasive developmental disorder and autism spectrum disorder the same?

Firstly, PPD is a subcategory of the autism spectrum disorder. Secondly, it is now included as a subcategory in the autism spectrum disorder.

Q: What are the causes of PPD?

The main causes of PPD are genetic mutations combined with environmental and biological factors.

Q: What is the common age group that PPD affects?

PPD usually begins in early childhood at about 18 to 24 months of age.

Asperger syndromeAsperger's SyndromeAutism Spectrum DisorderAutistic disorderCauses / Risk Factors of PPDChildhood disintegrating syndromeDiagnosis Of PPDLevels Of Autism Spectrum DisorderPervasive Developmental DisorderRett syndromeSymptoms of PPD
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