A 6-year-old boy has difficulty making friends and problems with initiating and sustaining back-and-forth conversation. He also has trouble reading social cues and sharing his feelings with others. He has a range of affect that generally seems appropriate to the situation, makes good eye contact, displays appropriate facial gestures, and has normal speech intonation. He demonstrates an interest in space ships that seems abnormally excessive in intensity and focus. He engages in little imaginative play. Which of the following diagnostic requirements for autism spectrum disorder are NOT met in this case?
Symptoms with onset in early childhood that cause clinically significant impairment
Deficits in social-emotional reciprocity
Deficits in nonverbal communicative behaviors used for social interaction
Deficits in developing and maintaining relationships
The Correct Answer is C
Choice A reason: The boy exhibits difficulties in social interaction and restricted interests that are observable in early childhood, indicating that symptoms with onset in early childhood that cause clinically significant impairment are present.
Choice B reason: The child demonstrates clear difficulties with initiating and sustaining reciprocal social interactions, which aligns with deficits in social-emotional reciprocity.
Choice C reason: Despite social interaction difficulties, the boy shows appropriate eye contact, facial expressions, and speech intonation. These behaviors indicate that deficits in nonverbal communicative behaviors used for social interaction are not present in this case, which is why this diagnostic requirement is not met.
Choice D reason: The child struggles with making friends and sharing feelings, reflecting difficulties in developing and maintaining relationships, which supports that this diagnostic requirement is present.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is C
Explanation
Choice A reason: The Beck Anxiety Inventory is a self-report measure, not a clinician-administered scale.
Choice B reason: GAD-7 is also a self-report questionnaire, widely used for generalized anxiety disorder but not administered by clinicians.
Choice C reason: The Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAM-A) is the most commonly used clinician-administered instrument for assessing anxiety severity, allowing monitoring of treatment progress over time.
Choice D reason: The Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale assesses social anxiety, is clinician-administered, but is more specialized and less commonly used for general anxiety monitoring.
Correct Answer is C
Explanation
Choice A reason: Amok is a sudden outburst of aggressive behavior followed by amnesia, often seen in Southeast Asian males. This patient’s presentation does not include aggression and is not male-specific, making Amok less likely.
Choice B reason: Khayal attacks involve panic-like symptoms with palpitations, dizziness, and anxiety, common in Southeast Asian cultures. While some overlap exists, the episodic possession-like behavior is more indicative of possession syndrome.
Choice C reason: Possession syndrome involves episodes where the individual acts as though another entity has taken control, often with amnesia for the event. This aligns with the patient’s experience following her mother’s death. Cultural beliefs may shape the expression of stress and grief.
Choice D reason: Ataque de nervios is a cultural syndrome characterized by emotional outbursts, crying, trembling, or aggression, mainly described in Latin American populations. The patient’s presentation does not match this syndrome.
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