In the end, parents should be more concerned that their child find the appropriate educational treatment based on their needs, rather than spending too much effort to find the perfect diagnostic label. Parents and teachers should also be included, as they have important information to share when determining a child’s diagnosis. The team may include, but may not be limited to, a psychologist or psychiatrist, a speech pathologist and other medical professionals, including a developmental pediatrician and/or neurologist. Ideally, a multidisciplinary team of professionals should evaluate a child suspected of having autism. Evaluation reports are more useful if they are specific and become more helpful for parents and professionals in later years when reevaluations are conducted. If a diagnosis of PDD-NOS is made, rather than autism, the diagnosticians should clearly specify the behaviors present. As a spectrum disorder, the level of developmental delay is unique to each individual. Most importantly, whether a child is diagnosed with a PDD (like autism) or a PDD-NOS, his/her treatment will be similar.Īutism is a spectrum disorder, with symptoms ranging from mild to severe. For example, a child may be diagnosed as having PDD-NOS if he or she has some behaviors that are seen in autism, but does not meet the full criteria for having autism. As no medical tests can be performed to indicate the presence of autism or any other PDD, the diagnosis is based upon the presence or absence of specific behaviors. The diagnosis of autism indicates that qualitative impairments in communication, social skills, and range of interests and activities exist. The key defining symptom of autism that differentiates it from other syndromes and/or conditions is substantial impairment in social interaction (Frith, 1989). Diagnosis of PDD, including autism or any other developmental disability, is based upon the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders – Fourth Edition (DSM-IV), published by the American Psychiatric Association (Washington, DC, 1994), and is the main diagnostic reference of mental health professionals in the U.S.Īccording to the DSM-IV, the term “PDD” is not a specific diagnosis, but an umbrella term under which the specific diagnoses are defined.ĭiagnostic labels are used to indicate commonalities among individuals. The term “PDD” is widely used by professionals to refer to children with autism and related disorders however, there is a great deal of disagreement and confusion among professionals concerning the PDD label. The Autism Society of Southern Arizona Starfish Award.Autism: Education & Equality Virtual Conference.School Options for Children with Autism.Snapshot of Autism Spectrum Disorder in Arizona.
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