Definition
The American Psychiatric Association definition of Pervasive Developmental Disorders, as published in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-IV-TR) outlines the diagnostic criteria for:
- Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
- Childhood Disintegrative Disorder
- Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified
- Asperger’s Disorder, and
- Rett’s Disorder.
Services
Students diagnosed by a medical professional with a pervasive developmental disorder may require a range of school based services depending on level of need and functioning. A comprehensive assessment is required to inform program planning. Programming decisions are made by the student’s program planning team.