Dr. Rimland and the PDD Label

The label PDD for Pervasive Developmental Disorder is thrown around a lot as you begin researching autism and searching for an accurate diagnosis for your child. Dr. Bernard Rimland from the Autism Research Institute (ARI) has some definite opinions regarding the use of the PDD label.Dr. Rimland is a father of a son with autism, a psychologist and founded ARI in 1967. ARI is a non-profit think tank that networks parents and professionals throughout the world. Dr. Rimland also founded the Autism Society of America (ASA) and publishes the Autism Research Review International. He was the first in the field to advocate that Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) was a biological disorder and not some emotional illness brought on by things like the "Refrigerator Mother".

Dr. Rimland understands the need for naming disorders and believes that PDD does not appropriately define ASD and that often PDD (especially PDD-NOS) is utilized by psychiatrists and parents who are afraid of the label "Autistic". Dr. Rimland believes and hopes that the term PDD will eventually dissolve as research progresses in the field of Autism Spectrum Disorder. His very frank article can be found at the ARI web site.