Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD) is an umbrella term for an array of complex neurological conditions (disorders) characterized by severe and pervasive impairment in several areas of development, including social interaction and communications skills. There are five sub-categories and Autism is one of them. Asperger’s Syndrome is also included although it does not have a designated category.
PDD /autism are considered ‘spectrum disorders’ because of the wide variety of symptoms and characteristics exhibited, as well as possibly underlying medical conditions and individual makeup. No one method alone is usually effective in treating these conditions. Professionals and families have found a number of different combinations of treatments which may be effective in helping the person to improve their quality of life and ability to function.
One of the newest forms of treatment is focused on identifying underlying metabolic, physiological and biochemical weaknesses and reparing them using biomedical intervention. This approach is very successful for the majority of children diagnosed with PDD, Autism and Asperger’s. The Defeat Autism Now! or DAN trained physicians have been trained by the Autism Reserach Institute to individually assess and treat children with developmental concerns.
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