Childhood Disintegrative Disorder

Childhood disintegrative disorder (CDD), also known as Heller’s syndrome, is a rare condition characterized by late onset (usually at 3 years of age or older) of developmental delays in language, social function, and motor skills after a period of normal development. Thomas Heller, an Austrian educator, first described childhood disintegrative disorder in 1908. No specific medical or neurological cause has been found to account for all occurrences of the disorder. The prevalence of CDD among boys is 1 in 100,000 and it is estimated that the disorder occurs in 8 boys for every 1 girl.

CDD was included in the fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM-IV, in 1994 under the category pervasive developmental disorders, which also included autistic disorder, ...