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Autism spectrum disorder - childhood disintegrative disorder

Childhood disintegrative disorder is a condition in which children develop normally through about age 3. Then, over a few months, they lose language, motor, social, and other skills that they already learned.

Childhood disintegrative disorder is a part of the larger developmental disorder category of autism spectrum disorder.

References

Bridgemohan CF. Autism spectrum disorder. In: Kliegman RM, St. Geme JW, Blum NJ, Shah SS, Tasker RC, Wilson KM, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 21st ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 54.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD). About autism spectrum disorder. www.cdc.gov/autism/about/index.html. Updated May 14, 2024. Accessed June 19, 2024.

Chaves-Gnecco D, Feldman HM. Developmental/behavioral pediatrics. In: Zitelli BJ, McIntire SC, Nowalk AJ, Garrison J, eds. Zitelli and Davis' Atlas of Pediatric Physical Diagnosis. 8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 3.

Sidhu R, O'Banion D, Hall C. Autism and other neurodevelopmental disabilities. Jankovic J, Mazziotta JC, Pomeroy SL, Newman NJ, eds. Bradley and Daroff's Neurology in Clinical Practice. 8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 90.

Review Date 4/28/2023

Updated by: Neil K. Kaneshiro, MD, MHA, Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

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