Pervasive Developmental Disorder Symptoms Related to Developmental Delay

Children with pervasive developmental disorder develop differently from other children. Children without the condition develop at about the same rate in areas of development such as motor, language, cognitive, and social skills. However, children with pervasive developmental disorder develop at different rates in different areas of growth. They might have large delays in language, social, and cognitive skills, while their motor skills might be about the same as other children their age. They might be very good at things like putting puzzles together or solving computer problems, but not very good at some things most people think are easy, like talking or making friends.

 

Children with pervasive developmental disorder might also learn a hard skill before they learn an easy one. For example, a child might be able to read long words, but not be able to tell you what sound a "b" makes. A child might also learn a skill and then lose it. For example, a child may be able to say many words, but later stop talking altogether.