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Information gathered in part by National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities (NICHCY), (see link below).
The Umbrella Category: PDD includes five disabilities: 1. Autism 4. Childhood Disintegrative Disorder 5. PDDNOS, Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified...
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) is the guide typically used by physicians and mental health professionals to diagnose the five disorders listed above. Published by the American Psychiatric Association, the latest edition of the DSM came out in 2000 and is known as the DSM-IV-TR (meaning the fourth edition, text revision). It lists the symptoms associated with each of the five disorders. Most importantly, it also groups all five disorders under the "umbrella" category of Pervasive Developmental Disorders, or PDD. Why? Because these disorders share in common the following characteristics: impairments in social interaction, imaginative activity, verbal and nonverbal communication skills, and a limited number of interests and activities that tend to be repetitive. |
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The above graphic was adapted from an autism awareness advertisement and it illustrates the severity of, and the concern for these disorders. |
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Brain Balance |
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Where every child learns what it feels like to succeed |
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PDD |
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NICHCY |