Specific developmental disorders (SDD) was a classification of disorders characterized by delayed development in one specific area or areas.[1][2][3][4] Specific developmental disorders were contrasted to pervasive developmental disorders[4] which were characterized by delays in the development of multiple basic functions including socialization and communication.[5]
ICD-10 taxonomy
The tenth revision of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-10) has four categories of developmental disorders: specific developmental disorders of speech and language, specific developmental disorders of scholastic skills, specific developmental disorder of motor function, and mixed specific developmental disorder.[2][6]
The specificity of the impairment: in SDD there is one single domain that is affected, whereas in PDD multiple areas of functioning are affected.[8]
The nature of the impairment: development in SDD is delayed but not otherwise abnormal, whereas in PDD there are behavioral deviations that are not typical for any developmental stage.[8]
In the DSM-IV, specific developmental disorders were no longer grouped together.[9] Instead they were reclassified as communication disorders, learning disorders, and motor skills disorders.[3]
^Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition. Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Association. 2013.
^ abThe Icd-10 Classification of Mental and Behavioural Disorders: Clinical Descriptions and Diagnostic Guidelines. Geneva: World Health Organization. 1992.
