Pervasive Developmental Disorder—Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS)
Question What is PDD-NOS, and how is it any different than Autism? Answer Pervasive Developmental Disorder—Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS) is a pervasive developmental disorder (PDD)/autism spectrum disorder (ASD). PDD-NOS is one of five forms of Autism Spectrum Disorders. PDD-NOS is often referred to as atypical autism. Many parents experience a lot of confusion about the diagnosis of autism or PDD-NOS. There is even a lot of confusion among physicians and diagnosticians themselves. Some pediatricians have been known to tell parents that “a diagnosis of PDD-NOS is reserved for children on the spectrum who are curable.” Other pediatricians have told parents that “PDD-NOS is not even on the spectrum!” Many clinicians seem to take a milder diagnosis and simply label it PDD-NOS. Let’s look at Autism first… A. To be diagnosed with autism, you must have: At least SIX (6) of the below symptoms from categories (1), (2) and (3) You must have TWO (2) symp