A very simple question, probably not worthy of a topic.

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Does a diagnosis of Pdd nos have to be at a young age? This is a real puzzle. As far as I am aware, it is simply a diagnosis used because it is not clear what the specific developmental disorder is at that point. I don't know. I'm wondering if people in their teens can be diagnosed with it.

Furthermore, isn't the criteria for PDD nos so loose that an NT with a few traits of a developmental disorder could recieve a diagnosis? Really puzzling, is this.

Wow, I actually think I have made a vaguely interesting topic for once. It is usually just a load of ramblings. I would agree that in the grand scale of things, this topic is probably vague, trivial and uninteresting, nevertheless, I hop you enjoy it to whatever extent you can enjoy a topic.

But don't get so lost in your enjoyement of the topic that you don't answer the question. Was that diplomatic enough? Oh and that last question is irrelevant btw [by the way].

Okay, I'll admit, I've somewhat tried to expand this question.

A diagnosis of AS can be at any age. So I see no reason why it's not the same for PDD-NOS. I know someone with the PDD-NOS diagnosis, he's in his 20's, and the diagnosis must have been quite recent.

The diagnosis for PDD-NOS still requires significant impairment in the three usual areas - social, communication and imagination.

Simply being a NT having some traits of PDD does not mean that you can get a diagnosis of PDD-NOS.

From my understanding PDD-NOS is diagnosed when the criteria for PDD are met in all areas, although not to the EXACT letter. Sometimes PDD-NOS is also referred to as atypical autism so that means that while one area may not be as impaired with regard to the usual criteria (still impaired more than a NT however) others may be even more impaired (i.e. signficant sensory dysfunction, stimming etc).

So PDD-NOS recognises that autism is still affecting the individual even if it is not exactly the same as HFA or AS etc.

Hope this helps.

A great many of the developmental-delay related diagnoses say something along the lines of, "symptoms must have been present before age X" or similar -- this may be where the confusion comes in.

Basically, I think the idea is that someone who has had obviously normal development up to their teens or twenties, for example, is probably exhibiting symptoms of a very different etiology than someone whose symptoms become visible during early childhood.

this is actually a really good question. I'm exploring both PDD-NOS and Aspergers in regards to my daughter. We had her tested for Aspergers, but while we were waiting on study results they gave us a diagnosis of PDD-NOS to get the school started working on Occupational Therapy (which of course they ignored). but she is 7

I don't know if this relates to your original question or not, but I did identify with it.

Diagnosis in adulthood is probably hard to finalize because of the coping mechanisms people create to mask some of the characteristics of what you may or maynot have. Add to this further anxieties or phobias people pickup as they get older.
Not forgetting the whole procedure is ambiguous at best anyway.

Noob question: What is PDD-NOS?

PDD-NOS is a "severe impairment of reciprocal social interaction" with the communication difficulties as seen in Autism or the repetitive behaviours seen in AS/Autism, that also doesn't fit either of the PDD labels. Age of onset needn't be before three as with Autism, the symptoms need not be as severe as Autism/AS, and/or there might not be as many symptoms as Autism/AS.

In other words, groups of people with Autism who don't fit Autistic Disorder or Asperger's Disorder.

Age of onset still has to be in childhood; if it's an adult onset of such, that's more likely to be something like Schizoid PD/Schizophrenia.

I was diagnosed with Autistic Disorder in adulthood (onset was before three, of course), so it's possible to make it to adulthood with a severe disorder and not be diagnosed as a child (I fit the DSM-IV-TR for Autistic Disorder; every criterion to at least a moderate level of severity).

PDD = Proventricular Dilatation Disease
http://www.birdcareco.com/English/Arts/ ... D/pdd.html

NOS = nitric oxide synthase
http://metallo.scripps.edu/PROMISE/NOS.html

There should be a law against recycling acronyms