PDD-NOS Case Studies

PDD-NOS (Pervasive Development Disorder – Not Otherwise Specified)
Case Study of a Child with PDD-NOS
Consuelo (Connie) Natal
Concordia College

PDD-NOS stands for Pervasive Developmental Disorder- Not Otherwise Specified. According to www.autismspeaks.org, PDD-NOS became the diagnosis applied to children or adults who are on the autism spectrum but do not fully meet the criteria for another autism spectrum disorder (sometimes called “classic” autism) or Asperger Syndrome (www.autismspeaks.org/what-autism/pdd-nos, pg.1). The diagnosis of PDD-NOS is still new, and only dates back about 15 years.
What Are the Types and Symptoms PDD-NOS? According to www.webmd.com, there are five types of Pervasive Development Disorders.
The symptoms of Pervasive Development Disorder are major problems with communication and play, difficulty interacting with others, but are too social to be categorized as autistic. Observation of Cameron and Theories Related to PDD-NOS I was given the opportunity to meet and observe a 10 year old child diagnosed with PDD-NOS named Cameron. Cameron relates to the theories of Piaget and Vygotsky. Piaget believed that children go through cognitive developmental stages. The stages that Piaget believed children go through are: sensorimotor from birth through two years old, pre-operational from two through seven years old, concrete operation from seven through eleven years old, and the formal operational stage from adolescence through adulthood (Charlesworth, 2014). Vygotsky believed that learning for young children comes from the support of adults and advanced peers, which he also referred to as the Zone of Proximal Development. According to Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development, knowing the area of what a child knows and can do with help can be done through the use of scaffolding. An example of how Cameron relates to Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development is the way he plays with his cousins.
The research done for this case study also enhanced my understanding of PDD-NOS and that even two students diagnosed with the same learning disability can be completely different. Cameron is highly functioning and does not appear at first sight to have a learning disability. I believe this is attributed to Cameron’s parents, because they noticed that something was different about Cameron when he was a toddler and received a diagnosis right away. Cameron’s Mom expressed her passion in being an advocate for other students and families struggling with this learning disability. Cameron’s Mom explained how difficult it was before Cameron’s diagnosis to understand his behavior because she was the only person in her immediate family at the time with a small child, and she had no one to ask if any of the behaviors Cameron displayed were normal. Cameron’s Mom also genuinely expressed her desire for Cameron’s school to cooperate with her to ensure he receives the support and services he needs from his school without any resistance. Cameron’s Mom also said that she would just like to wake up one day and have a normal day of getting Cameron ready for school that does not involve an argument with him. She said it’s very overwhelming because Cameron’s school expects her and his Dad to monitor him at all times. She believes this unrealistic because she has other things to do each day that