A mother brings her 5-year-old daughter to the PMHNP for concerns about her speech articulation. She has never sustained a head injury, was not exposed to prenatal toxins, was delivered vaginally without problems, is otherwise healthy, and is developmentally in line with her peers. She has struggled with speech articulation; her daycare teachers first noticed it and she received speech therapy beginning at that time. She has no issues relating with her peers, and she is highly imaginative in her play. Despite having speech therapy, her speech is still difficult to understand. What is the most likely diagnosis?
Global developmental delay
Autism spectrum disorder
Speech sound disorder
Selective mutism
The Correct Answer is C
Choice A reason: Global developmental delay involves significant delays across multiple domains, including motor, cognitive, social, and language skills. This child is otherwise developmentally normal, so global delay is not appropriate.
Choice B reason: Autism spectrum disorder includes deficits in social communication and restricted, repetitive behaviors. The child interacts well with peers and is imaginative in play, making ASD unlikely.
Choice C reason: This is the correct answer. Speech sound disorder is characterized by persistent difficulty with articulation or phonological processes that interferes with intelligibility, despite normal development in other areas. Her history fits these criteria.
Choice D reason: Selective mutism involves consistent failure to speak in certain social situations despite speaking in others. The child does speak in her environment, so selective mutism is not applicable.
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Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is D
Explanation
Choice A reason: While ODD generally has an onset before age 12, knowing the age of onset alone does not allow the PMHNP to definitively rule out the disorder. It is a characteristic rather than a diagnostic threshold.
Choice B reason: This is incorrect because ODD is a recognized psychiatric diagnosis according to DSM-5. While psychotherapy is a common treatment, dismissing it as “not an actual diagnosis” is inaccurate.
Choice C reason: This option outlines a symptom threshold for a shorter period (3 months), but DSM-5 specifies that the behavior must persist for 6 months, making this choice incomplete for diagnostic exclusion.
Choice D reason: This is the correct answer. According to DSM-5, ODD is defined by a pattern of angry/irritable mood, argumentative/defiant behavior, or vindictiveness lasting at least 6 months, with at least four symptoms present. The patient’s behavior began only 2 months ago, which helps rule out ODD as the diagnosis at this time.
Correct Answer is D
Explanation
Choice A reason: The Adolescent Self-Report Scale is designed for older children and adolescents to self-report behaviors and is not suitable for an 8-year-old.
Choice B reason: The Child Behavior Checklist is a broad measure of behavioral and emotional functioning but may not provide specific ADHD-related behavior tracking.
Choice C reason: The Conners Teacher Rating Scale is completed by teachers and can track school behavior, but does not assess behavior at home, which is critical for parent-observed medication effects.
Choice D reason: The Conners Parent Rating Scale provides a validated measure of ADHD symptoms at home, allowing objective tracking of behavior changes before and during medication use.
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