Boulder Creek Academy has been serving high school students with behavioral challenges, including pervasive development disorders (PDDs), for over 20 years. PDDs include a range of conditions such as autism, Asperger syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder, and Rett syndrome. The diagnoses of such disorders are becoming more common as their criteria become known and the public’s awareness of them expand.

1. UNDERSTANDING
PERVASIVE
DEVELOPMENT
DISORDERS
Boulder Creek Academy

2. Introduction
 Boulder Creek Academy has been serving high
school students with behavioral challenges,
including pervasive development disorders
(PDDs), for over 20 years. PDDs include a range
of conditions such as autism, Asperger syndrome,
childhood disintegrative disorder, and Rett
syndrome. The diagnoses of such disorders are
becoming more common as their criteria become
known and the public’s awareness of them
expand.
PDDs do not delay a child’s development, but
result in development that follows a divergent
path, particularly with regard to the child’s
communication skills, social behavior, and
attention span.

3. Pervasive Development
Disorders
 Symptomatic behavior may include general difficulty
understanding or returning the emotions of others, a very
literal comprehension of the world that limits expressions of
imagination, an inability to engage in dialogue with other
children, and unusual attachments to objects or the need to
organize them in very specific patterns.
PDDs share common symptoms but do not appear to have a
common cause, although researchers are certain they are not
the result of parenting styles or a child’s environment. A
diagnosis of PDD will remain with a child for life, but children
with PDDs can benefit from specialized care and education,
such as that offered by Boulder Creek Academy. With such
treatment, they can learn the skills they need to be part of
their communities and potentially pursue higher education.