What Is
Childhood Disintegrative Disorder?

The onset of Childhood Disintegrative Disorder occurs after several years of normal development. In general, the onset occurs between 3 and 4 years and up to 10 years of age after verbal and nonverbal communication, social relationships and adaptive behavior have developed.

This condition is extremely rare. Males and females are both affected, but males are affected more often.

The symptoms may begin gradually or abruptly. The early symptoms include increased activity, irritability and anxiety. Then, significant loss occurs in such skills as expressive or receptive language, social skills or adaptive behavior, bowel or bladder control, play, and motor skills.

In addition, your child may demonstrate various social difficulties including impaired nonverbal behaviors, failure to develop peer relationships, and lack of social or emotional reciprocity.

The communication problems may include delay or lack of spoken language, inability to initiate or sustain conversation, stereotyped and repetitive use of language, and lack of varied make-believe play.

The behavioral impairments include restricted, repetitive, and stereotyped patterns including motor stereotypes and mannerisms. Your child will not demonstrate the stereotyped hand movements normally seen in Rett's Disorder.

The loss of skills may reach a plateau with very little likelihood of improvement or may be continually progressive. The DSM-IV further defines the specific features.

Childhood Disintegrative Disorder is often associated with severe mental retardation. Seizures and EEG abnormalities may also occur.

The cause of this disorder in unknown, but is believed to be due to an insult to the central nervous system.

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