[Regulatory disorders: a follow-up study]

The self-regulation systems develop during early childhood resulting from the meeting of the constitutional characteristics of the child, his/her adaptability and environmental responses. The failure of the intersection of these dimensions leads to the onset of symptoms that can seriously affect the child's behavior and his/her relationship. Regulatory disorders of sensory processes (DR) were identified as independent nosographic category in the "Diagnostic Classification 0-3". The aim of this study was the description of the clinical features of a group of children for whom a diagnosis of regulatory disorders was made before the three years, and their development at school age.

The sample was composed of 28 children, 22 males and 6 females, selected from a group of 60 children, with a mean age at T0 of 34.8 months (range 14-56 months). The clinical reassessment was conducted after five years (T1), with a children's mean age of 103.5 months (range 71-150 months).

Approximately 40% of school age participants shows no longer any disturbance, while the remaining % shows a very heterogeneous spectrum of disorders.

The diagnosis of DR is sensitive enough to detect in infancy a wide range of developmental difficulties, but it is quite specific and relatively predictive about the child's subsequent development. Retrospectively the entire diagnostic profile provides more information than the primary diagnosis and the greatest impairment of the different dimensions explored predicts a more severe evolution.