Developmental disorder

Developmental disorders comprise a group of psychiatric conditions originating in childhood that involve serious impairment in different areas. There are several ways of using this term.^[1] The most narrow concept is used in the category "Specific Disorders of Psychological Development" in the ICD-10.^[1] These disorders comprise developmental language disorder, learning disorders, developmental coordination disorders, and autism spectrum disorders (ASD).^[2] In broader definitions, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is included, and the term used is neurodevelopmental disorders.^[1] Yet others include antisocial behavior and schizophrenia that begins in childhood and continues through life.^[1] However, these two latter conditions are not as stable as the other developmental disorders, and there is not the same evidence of a shared genetic liability.^[1]

Developmental disorders are present from early life onward. Most improve as the child grows older, but some entail impairments that continue throughout life. These disorders differ from Pervasive developmental disorders (PPD), which uniquely describe a group of five developmental diagnoses, one of which is autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Pervasive developmental disorders reference a limited number of conditions whereas development disorders are a broad network of social, communicative, physical, genetic, intellectual, behavioral, and language concerns and diagnoses.