In this paper, we give an overview of the diagnostic categories of autism and other pervasive developmental disorders (PDDs) and discuss the changes in the DSM classification system over the past 20 years. We describe each subtype of PDD, along with comorbid psychiatric conditions, assessment guidelines, and tools for diagnosis. The epidemiology of autism has generated much discussion and resea...

OBJECTIVE This study assesses the relationship between sleep disturbances (SD) and attention-deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) to characterize clinical features and associated problems. METHOD The medical records of 50 children and adolescents ranging in age from 4 to 17 years with ADHD without the diagnosis of mental retardation or pervasive developmental disorders were reviewed. R...

Last few years have been phenomenal in improving the status of Paediatric health in Pakistan. An imperative avenue which has remained neglected, however, is the Paediatric Mental Health. Though country wide surveys are not available in literature, estimates gauge the prevalence of childhood mental disabilities in Pakistan to around 17% (8% mental retardation and 9% behavioural, emotional and pe...

Early intervention for autism spectrum disorders necessitates early detection. This need has led to widespread agreement across disciplines that screening is critical in very young children. Two screening issues are highlighted in this review. Level of screening refers to the type of sample: Level I is defined as an unselected sample, and Level II consists of selected children already identifie...