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The Diagnosis of Pervasive Developmental Disorder

To be diagnosed with one of the Pervasive Developmental Disorders including Autism Spectrum Disorder, the child must have a specific number of characteristics in 3 categories:

  1. Social Interaction
  2. Communication
  3. Behaviour

The specific diagnosis is based on the number of characteristics and the severity of those characteristics. Some of the possible characteristics may include:

  1. Social Interaction
    • Unusual eye contact
    • Different and/or decreased interaction
    • Relates better and more frequently to adults than children
    • Prefers to do things without seeking help from others
  2. Communication (verbal and nonverbal)
    • Delay in spoken language
    • Difficulty understanding directions
    • Difficulty starting and continuing a conversation
    • May repeat words/phrases that other people say
    • Limited pretend play
    • Gets needs met by taking an adult’s hand
    • Uses gestures to communicate
  3. Behaviour
    • Repeats actions e.g. often plays with fingers, rocks body, jumps
    • Unusual play e.g. puts toys in line, repeatedly spins toys
    • Difficulty with change. Prefers things to stay the same.
    • Unusual reactions to sound, smell, taste, touch or visual sensations

Note: This is a general over view and should be accompanied by more detailed


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