Pervasive development disorder on 3 year old?

Question

I took my 3 year old daughter to the neuroligist for her odd behaviors, she always throws tantrums, has speech problems, talks to people who aren't there, doesn't really play with other children.....and he said she has pdd and to call my school district..what i want to know i guess is does the school district give her a more specific diagnoses or do i need to go to yet another doctor...I just want to know also if anyone else ever went thru this where you know something isn't right but you just keep having to go here and there but know one tells or lets you know how to deal with it I just want to connect to my daughter....and get her the proper help and moms/dad seem to give the best direction to go....

Answer 1

PDD means your child has Autism. My son is three he was diagnosed with PDD when he was 17 months. PDD basically means that your child has an Autism Spectrum Disorder, but they haven't narrowed down which one. Usually it is given until further evaluations can narrow it down. There are 5 diorders on the spectrum.The school district will only evaluate and treat. They do not diagnose. That is usually done by the Pediatric Neuologist or the Developmental Pediatrician. The quality of the educational and therapy programs vary from state to state. It would definitely benefit you to join an Autisn support group, or feel free to email me if you need to talk or need advice. I know how hard it is to cope with this devastating disorder. It is possible to connect with your daughter, it may just take time. My son and I have an amazing bond even if it is a bit atypical. It took some time, but we got there, and he hugs, kisses, and laughs at me, so we are able to interact in our own special way even if he can't speak to me. The important thing is just not to give up on her. Also, even though she may not be able to show you, she does love you. It may take her a little time to be able to show you in her own special way. Good luck to you both................................................ Yes, PDD doesn't automatically mean that your child has Autism. What I meant to say was that PDD does mean that your daughter is in fact autistic. PDD and Autism Spectrum Disorders are one in the same. If a child has a PDD disagnosis, they are considered autistic, regardless of the actual disorder, whether it be Asperger's, Rett's Syndrome, PDD- NOS, Classic Autism or CDD. Some doctors just give the PDD diagnosis, because it is thought to be a kinder, gentler term to use, but all Children who are considered to have an ASD are considered autistic, not just children who actually have Autism itself. Sorry for the confusion. Also the first things doctors look for when diagnosing a child with PDD, are actually social and communicative delays and repetitive behaviors and routines, not cognitive delays as stated below. Many children have cognitive delays, and many do not. It is common, but it isn't the rule. You can get a more specific diagnosis, and there are further evaluations that they can do, but diagnosing any ASD is a pretty long process, with the exception of Rett's, which can be detected through a blood test. My best advice to you as I have learned this through experience, is to do as much research as you can, because everybody will tell you different things and a lot of it is incorrect information. It is better to do your own and separate fact and fiction by yourself. Many people feel they are experts, I had a girl I used to work with who told me that because my son an ASD he was retarded, as it is a form of mental retardation. Not only is this a false statement, it is ridiculous. Though it can be a factor in many cases, it is not the cause of your child's PDD and it is not the rule. No two children with an ASD present it the same. For example, my son makes eye contact, he laughs at me, he and I have a very good bond and ugs and kisses me. I can't tell you ow many times I have been told that there was no way that my son could have an ASD, because he does all these things. I knew better than this because I educated myself through reliable sources. It really helps to do your research.

Answer 2

PDD is as specific as a diagnosis as you will get. As your child gets older she will be more spcifically classified. Nothing is in stone, and she hasn't even had services yet, so to classify her as autisitc would not be just. I worked with a child who was diagnosed PDD with autistic tendencies who received early intervention, 40 hours a week ABA therapy and additional speech therapy and at three when he went through the school district he was diagnosed as learning disabled. He had made a tremendous amount of progress. The school districts are less willing to do neurological assessments. They have to pay for them, but if you would be more comfortable speaking with the district about evaluation it's worth a try. Don't tell them she has already been diagnosed though, or they will definitely not provide you with another assessment.
After three years of age, the state, atleast NJ, no longer offers early intervention so any services that you would receive free would be from the school district. Some school districts are better equipped to handle special needs children and have more funding for this area. Others are very stingy and you may have to fight for what you want for your daughter.
As far as support groups go, there are many sights online to talk with other parents, and I'm sure you could even find parents that meet up to talk. You can contact an ARC in your county and I'm sure they would be able to give you information, you can also contact special services. Online is probably your best bet to find support groups in your area. There are organizations for advocacy usually within each district, that parents run. There is also another organization, I can't remember the name now, that I believe is national and it is paretns all over the country that discuss issues such as advocacy, support groups and other issues. It's definietly on-line. I'll check it out for you.
You can also read Let Me Hear Your Voice, by Catherine Maurice, which is a wonderful, encouraging true story of a woman who had two children with autism. She talks about how she first learned about her daughters diagnosis and how she found services as well as her emotions as she struggled with it.
If you have any other questions feel free to email me. I provided ABA for a few years and have worked with the population for a long while.
I just found one org. is NJ called SPAN which offers educationalinfo, parent support groups lots of info. It really depends on where you live though, but it seems that every state and some cities have these organizations. I can't remember what the other org. was. If I think of it I'll email you.

Answer 3

My child was diagnoses with PDD and further, she is believed to be on the Autism Spectrum. I was advised to go to the school district also, because they give a little test and from there determine which free services your child may be entitled to - such as speech therapy, etc.

My child is 6 years old, and I can tell you that no doctor I have met really knows what to do about Autism - but with 1 in 166 children affected, there are lots of ideas of what can be done to help. I find the best ones come from parents like me who have turned to alternative health for a solution.

The first thing that most of us do is try to change the diet. If you can eliminate cow's dairy, wheat and sugar, you might see a difference very quickly. My kids eat goat cheese and rice dream milk and spelt or oat bread. We eat no artificial sweetners (or corn syrup) and we stay away from hydrogenated oil in foods. We have also gotten rid of our teflon pans (using only stainless steel pots and iron pans) and put parchment paper over aluminum cookie or baking sheets when we use them.

ABA therapy can be very helpful for speech (and it is often provided free and in home to children under 5 by the school district).

It has been a hard road - the tragedy so often is the not connecting without precious darlings - but we have finally reached a level of peace with our situation and can believe that there is something important going on here. Let me also tell you that Albert Einstein and Bill Gates are considered to have been Autistic when they were children - there is a way over this. There is a way to overcome these things - we just need patience and faith.

Now my kid does have tantrums when things don't go her way, she has a large vocabulary but does not use it to communicate with us - in fact she doesn't even acknowledge other people or make eye contact much at all. I don't know if they are similar, but I have a lot of informationand ideas on Autism and would be happy to connect with you offline if you want to email me.

Remember - children are doing the best they can, usually all they want to do is please their parents. Kids that consistently act out can be suffering from some sort of discomfort or reacting to some stimuli that makes it hard for them to behave "normally". Lots of patience and love for your child and yourself will help most in the end.

Peace!

Answer 4

Sorry PDD does not AUTOMATICALLY mean your child has AUTISM.

PDD is the main diagnosis. Look at it as an umbrella. there are many labels under this PDD umbrella. Autism, aspergers. and many others.

WITH the Diagnosis of PDD there just wanting to let your district know so that they can get the right support for them. Some children are labeled as PDD-NOS (not otherwise specified) MEANING that they have certain symptoms BUT not enough to get categorized under any one part.

FOR autism there need to be delays in 3 categories with COGNITIVE delays as #1. usually they will have social delays speach delays.

ITS going to be a ruff year. To tell you the truth NOW that you have a diagnosis you can get onto waiting lists. SOMETIMES they could be long. THeres speach thereapy you can try. and check in your community for resourse dollars. DO NOT STOP the fight until you are satified with the support group you have.

NOT sure if you are in the states or in canada. I know I work with many autistic children as I'm a behaviour therapist. IN ontario (canada) 5 years ago they introduced an autism intervention program. WE work one-on-one with children to help develop their skills ready for school. aslo there are disability tax credit. as well they off a program in each reagion (special services at home) that grant money to family each year and you can use that money to get someone to come in and work with your child. OR even get a highschool student to play with her.

YOU will get to interact with your child. Just teaching things, simple things as play may take some time and breaking it down to easy simple stages for her to accomplish.

I wish you all the best.

Answer 5

Your child can be evaluated by professionals in the school district who will determine if the delays your child has meet the criteria for receiving special services. The school district MUST provide your child with a FREE, appropriate education, as outlined in the federal law titled, IDEA. IDEA guarantees your child's right to an education that meets her specific needs. Yes, the neurologist's diagnosis is what you need. Take his findings to the school district to get educational help. They will require his paperwork stating his diagnosis, and may send out a worker to your house to take notes and get started on your child's educational plan, called an IEP (Individualized Educational Plan). Once you have an IEP prepared, the school district will find placement for her in a classroom, either in the public school near you (or if they are full) in a private center who can help your child achieve your goals for her. It is a long process, with lots of doctor visits and paperwork. But, it will help your child to start intervention early.

Answer 6

I surely have a three 12 months previous i attempt to get her to %. up her toys I tell her that if she would not %. up her toys then i'm going to throw them away, then i bypass get the rubbish and he or she would be able to start choosing them up as long as I help (that's nice she's 3) while we placed her in day holiday I grab her and placed her interior the path of the stairs and tell her to stay in day holiday till the kitchen timer is going off. If she does throw issues then i could tell her it is going interior the rubbish and throw it away, a pair circumstances of that and he or she would be able to no longer try this anymore. If my little woman cries & throwing a tantrum then I stroll away and out decrease back or get the mail then she oftentimes calms down in 5 minutes and starts twiddling with something else. while she cries and cries and throws tantrums then she is oftentimes drained, bypass to a effective quiet place placed on a show and lay down together with her for a couple of minutes and supply her some quiet time. good luck!

Answer 7

They want you to talk to her school becasuse they can do a plan for her and then the State will provide services while she at school that she needs like speech therapy and such that otehrwise you's have to pay for.