Psychiatry Investig.  2011 Mar;8(1):67-70.

Pervasive Developmental Disorders and Autism Spectrum Disorders: Are These Disorders One and the Same?

• Tateno M
• Kikuchi S
• Uehara K
• Fukita K
• Uchida N
• Sasaki R
• Saito T

Abstract

The concept of pervasive developmental disorders (PDD) and autism spectrum disorders (ASD) closely resemble each other. Both ICD-10 and DSM-IV use the term PDD. The authors surveyed the perception of PDD/ASD and attitudes toward terminology. The subjects of this study were 205 medical/social-welfare professionals working in fields relating to developmental disorders. Questionnaires were mailed to site investigators at the collaborating institutes. With regard to what the scope of ASD and PDD encompasses, the answers were almost equally divided among three views: ASD and PDD are the same, PDD is wider in scope and ASD is wider. The terms PDD and autism were used in slightly different ways depended upon the situation. Our results demonstrate that the parameters of PDD and ASD are unclear and that the terms related to PDD/ASD are often used differently. Further studies are required to develop more clear and reliable diagnostic criteria for PDD.

Keyword

Autism; Asperger's Syndrome; Pervasive developmental disorders; Autism spectrum disorders; Diagnostic criteria

MeSH Terms

Academies and Institutes
Asperger Syndrome
Autistic Disorder
Child
Autism Spectrum Disorder
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
Humans
International Classification of Diseases
Postal Service
Surveys and Questionnaires
Research Personnel