Autism (P.D.D.) Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) is a biological condition affecting social skills, communication, interactive learning and imaginative play. Children with PDD may demonstrate behaviors that are uncommon at any age of development (for example, "self-stimulating" behavior such as rocking, hand slapping, finger flicking). Unlike a condition such as chicken pox where definite symptoms are seen, PDD may look different in each individual. Each child may display different combinations of behaviors and the degree of how these behaviors interfere with normal development can vary. The most severe form of PDD is autism. When the child does not meet all of the criteria for an autism diagnosis the term "PDD not otherwise specified" is used. Some of the possible signs of PDD include the following: Language Development: Verbal/non-verbal communication skills are limited and possibly absent. Poor understanding and use of names of common objects. Difficulty understanding and using pronouns (he, she) Echoing or repeating what is said (echolalia). Difficulty communicating basic wants and needs. Difficulty answering and asking questions. Continuous repeating of phrases when unrelated to the current situation. Facial expressions are inappropriate or do not exist. Social Development: Emotional behavior such as giggling, laughing, anger, or tantrums are seen for no known reason. Inappropriate or unusual use of or attachment to objects. Resistance to changes in routine. Difficulty developing cooperative play and friendships. No fear of real dangers. Engages in rituals such as lining up objects, repeating unusual motions, repeating the same activity over and over again. Sensory/Perceptual Skills (Five Senses): Poor attention to sights and sounds. Withdraws from sight, sound, or touch. Inappropriate smelling, licking, or staring. Self-stimulating movements. Inappropriate activity level either very high or very low. Motor Skills: Problems with large muscle skills (crawling, walking and running) Problems with small muscle skills (picking up small objects and speech production). Apraxia or difficulty controlling voluntary movements. Clumsiness (awkward hand or finger movements, walking on tiptoes). Ask The Professional How Do Children Acquire PDD? The cause of PDD is still unknown despite being studied for 50 years. What is known is that PDD is an abnormality in brain functioning. PDD may have at least 15 or 20 different causes and the cause may be different for each child. Certain conditions that affect the brain are strongly associated with PDD and autistic disorder include: mental retardation, seizures, infantile spasms, German Measles, Fragile X and Phenylketonuria (PKU) which is a abnormality in the body chemistry. Some individuals may have a section of the brain that is smaller than normal. There is no known psychological cause. How Often Does PDD Occur? Occurrence of PDD is estimated at between 7 to 10 people in every 10,000 and twice as many children have PDD than autism. These figures mean that between 10,000 and 350,000 people in the U.S. may have some form of PDD. One-third of these individuals are children. Is there a cure for PDD? There is no cure for PDD. Individuals with this condition may, however, be helped by antidepressants and antiseizure medications as well as food restrictions. These may assist in controlling behaviors. The use of behavior modification and modifying the child's environment at home and in the school may also help. Children with PDD or suspected to have PDD may benefit from a combination of special services such as occupational therapy, psychology and speech pathology. There are national organizations and supportive family counseling services regarding children with PDD. Language in Action Children with PDD and autism show differences in their interaction. As a result, learning language does not occur in a typical fashion. Activities to increase a child's willingness to interact with you build potential for increased speech and language. 1. Eye contact can be enhanced by holding things close to your face to get the child's attention. Bubbles are often a very reinforcing     toy and the child can be encouraged to look at your face and eyes before the bubble is blown. 2. Unusual behaviors are often due to not knowing another way to interact or deal with an object or situation. They can also be in     response to anxiety. Children with PDD often need repeated intensive, organized and predictable intrusions into their routines.     Often taking small steps to achieve a desired goal is most successful. Touch can often be helpful in initiating some changes in     behavior but may be resisted initially. Therefore, walking your fingers up to the child before touching him, cupping your hands over     his hands and then waiting for a response, or playing "I'm going to get you" action games with 2 adults in the room allow for some     interaction that may eventually be directed to more appropriate and acceptable behaviors. 3. Expand play to encourage more language. If a child enjoys a specific toy or activity, this is a good place to start. A caregiver can     then try to vary what is done with the toy or activity to expand language. An example of this would be with bubbles. Teach the child to     pop the bubbles initially, and then choose different body parts for the bubbles to hit. Dropping the bubble stick with the intention that     the child will retrieve it and give it back, is another variation. These teach different types of interaction. Using words throughout these     activities can expand the child's language. 4. Music is often very reinforcing to a child with PDD. Utilizing routine songs and then varying the words slightly during a certain activity     can teach them new words and vocabulary. For example, the simple song "Row Row Row Your Boat", could be changed to "Tie Tie     Tie Your Shoe", or "Eat Eat Eat Your Pizza". Music often gets and keeps attention, and is something the child can participate in     even if the words are not yet meaningful or understandable. 5. Provide a temptation for the child to interact and communicate . Some examples:    1. Eat a desired food item in front the child without offering any to the child.    2. Activate a wind up toy, let it deactivate and hand it to the child.    3. Play a familiar social game with the child until the child participates and then stop the game and wait.    4. Blow up a balloon and slowly deflate it, hand the deflated balloon to the child or hold the deflated balloon to your mouth and wait.    5. Place a desired food item or toy in a clear container that the child cannot open while the child is watching. Put the container in        front of the child and wait.    6. For older children, doing an activity that the child enjoys and then creating questions and vocabulary around those activities often        is the most motivating and an excellent way for them to learn.