Alternate diagnosis to PDD

[Abbie362]

My 22 month old son was evaluated by a pediatric neurologist/devevelopmental pediatrician at 20 months. She said she doesn't think that he has PDD--but he has significant speech/language delays and some features on the autistic spectrum. He is getting play and speech therapy and will soon be getting occupational therapy for SI issues. If it is not PDD, than what could the possible alternate diagnosis be (I understand you cannot diagnose without knowing him). Or is it that she could be waiting to see how he does with services before diagnosing? At what age can they diagnose PDD?  We will be returning to the neurologist within three months after all of the services begin. I am wondering if she is waiting to see how he does with the services before issuing a diagnosis. And am interested in your input.

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

Except in instances of severe dysfunction, it can be difficult to diagnose PDD-spectrum conditions in a child as young as your son. And, some PDD-spectrum conditions cannot be diagnosed in a child 22 months of age. An alternative explanation can be developmental disorders of particular types - eg., motor, speech/language, etc. Maturation that comes with age can make a very significant difference, so it is best to be conservative about issuing a diagnosis of Pervasive Deveopmental Disorder.