Childhood disintegrative disorder, also known as Heller's syndrome and disintegrative psychosis, is a rare condition characterized by late onset of developmental delays—or severe and sudden reversals—in language, social engagement, bowel and bladder, play and motor skills.
The cause is unknown. CDD occurs in children who have had previously normal development who then appear to regress, sometimes rapidly. The condition can seem to develop in days or develop over time, and most commonly begins in the fourth year of life, although there is some variation .
Also known as Heller's syndrome, for the Austrian special educator who first described it in 1908, it is a late-blooming, viciously regressive form of autism. It's rare, striking about 1 or 2 in every 100,000 children.
Restricted, repetitive and stereotyped behavior, such as bobbing the head up and down, or other repeated movements. These changes must not be caused by a general medical condition or another diagnosed mental disorder.
A rare and devastating disorder. CDD, which affects between one and two children in 100,000, was first identified in 1908. It is also known as Heller's syndrome, for the Austrian educator Theodor Heller, who identified the disorder 35 years before autism was first described.
Childhood disintegrative disorder.
This was the rarest and most severe part of the spectrum. It described children who develop normally and then quickly lose many social, language, and mental skills, usually between ages 2 and 4. Often, these children also developed a seizure disorder.
As there is no cure for Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, treatment normally follows a similar pattern to that used for children with Autism.
Childhood disintegrative disorder is a part of the larger developmental disorder category of autism spectrum disorder.
Overall, regression typically occurs within the second and third years of life with a mean occurrence of around 20 months.
CDD and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) share features of core and extra-diagnostic symptoms. CDD has more severe impairment than ASD (e.g. lower IQ, more epilepsy). Differences in CDD include faster regression, more mental health symptoms, and more global developmental deficit.
In some ways Williams syndrome is the opposite of autism. For example, people with Williams syndrome love to talk and tell stories, whereas those with autism usually have language delay and little imagination. Many people with Williams syndrome draw disjointed pictures, some with autism draw pictures in perfect detail.
Asperger's Syndrome, a form of Autism Spectrum Disorder, is a developmental disorder. Young people with Asperger's Syndrome have a difficult time relating to others socially and their behavior and thinking patterns can be rigid and repetitive.
Williams Syndrome (also known as Williams-Beuren syndrome) is a rare genetics disorder in which a portion of DNA material on chromosome 7 is missing. The prevalence in the population is somewhere between 1 out of 10,000. Many people with Williams Syndrome exhibit autistic behaviors.
For example, a child previously able to speak in 2- or 3-word phrases gradually or abruptly loses the ability to communicate using words or can use only fragments. Social and emotional development also regress, resulting in an impaired ability to relate with others.
There is currently no cure for CDD, but early intervention and therapy may help to lessen the severity of the symptoms children develop.
There are five major types of autism which include Asperger's syndrome, Rett syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder, Kanner's syndrome, and pervasive developmental disorder – not otherwise specified.
When Does Autism Get Easier? A new study found that around 30% of young autistic children have less severe symptoms at age 6 than they did at age 3. Interestingly, some children lose their autism diagnoses entirely.
It's something you're born with. Signs of autism might be noticed when you're very young, or not until you're older. If you're autistic, you're autistic your whole life. Autism is not a medical condition with treatments or a "cure".
Children can be misdiagnosed as having Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and not actually be autistic. It is concerning enough for a parent to be told their child is on the Autism Spectrum, but for a child to be misdiagnosed as having autism can cause unnecessary stress and worry for the family.
About 70% of autistic people have an intellectual disability, which means they have an IQ lower than 70. The remaining 30% have intelligence that ranges from average to gifted. Autism and intelligence are two separate characteristics. A person can be autistic with any level of intelligence.
ADHD is not on the autism spectrum, but they have some of the same symptoms. And having one of these conditions increases the chances of having the other. Experts have changed the way they think about how autism and ADHD are related.
The most common developmental disability is intellectual disability. Cerebral palsy is the second most common developmental disability, followed by autism spectrum disorder. Other developmental disabilities may include: Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.
Can Regressive Autism Be Reversed? There is no cure for autism. However, in many cases, children who are diagnosed early enough and go through rigorous therapy will acquire the necessary tools to improve their skills and function independently.
Unlike childhood autism and childhood disintegrative disorder, Rett syndrome exclusively affects girls and has distinct midline stereotyped hand movements and deceleration in head growth.
At present, there is no complete cure for Autism. The doctors will tailor a treatment program to each child to maximize their ability to learn, interact, and otherwise function well in society.