Abstract
This volume deals with the classification of specific developmental disorders. The concept of specific developmental disorder (SDD) refers to developmental delays that cannot be explained in terms of intellectual retardation, physical handicap, or adverse environmental conditions. For example, the diagnosis ‘specific developmental expressive language disorder’ implies that children (unexpectedly) lag behind in the development of their expressive language abilities despite normal intelligence, and in the absence of physical or sensory handicaps (Bishop, 1992). The assumption is that SDD differs in certain ways, such as prognosis or course of the disorder, from other types of developmental delays. Specific developmental disorders are described in terms of a discrepancy between the observed level of development compared to the developmental level that may be expected, given the child’s capacities. In other words, children with SDD lag behind in their development without any apparent reason.
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Rispens, J., van Yperen, T.A., Yule, W. (1998). Perspectives on the Classification of Specific Developmental Disorders: An Introduction. In: Rispens, J., van Yperen, T.A., Yule, W. (eds) Perspectives on the Classification of Specific Developmental Disorders. Neuropsychology and Cognition, vol 13. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-2581-1_1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-2581-1_1
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