Childhood disintegrative disorder: results of the DSM-IV autism field trial.

OBJECTIVE

This report is concerned with the classification of children in whom an "autistic-like" syndrome develops after some years of normal development. In DSM-IV the term "childhood disintegrative disorder" (CDD) is used to describe such cases.

METHOD

Data collected as part of the international, multisite DSM-IV field trial for autism and related conditions were examined and cases that met DSM-IV criteria for CDD were identified.

RESULTS

In 16 cases the clinician had given a CDD diagnosis; in an additional 10 cases criteria for the condition were met even though this diagnosis was not given by the clinician rating the case.

CONCLUSIONS

The available data suggest that CDD cases can be differentiated from those with autism; these two groups appear to differ in important ways. The identification of cases of CDD may be of particular importance for research.