Nicolas Has Autistic Disorder and He Was Mute

question 6

Multiple Choice

Nicolas has autistic disorder and he was mute. A therapist working with Nicolas initially gave him a piece of chocolate any time he made a sound with his lips. This slowly changed until Nicolas only received a piece of chocolate for saying complete words, and eventually only for saying complete sentences. In this example, Nicolas developed speech skills through the use of

• A) classical conditioning.
• B) modelling.
• C) shaping.
• D) negative reinforcement.

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Definitions:

Continuous Disorders

Mental health or medical conditions that do not have a clear start and end point, and are characterized by ongoing or fluctuating symptoms over time.

Comorbidity

The occurrence of two or more diseases or disorders in the same individual at the same time.

DSM-IV-TR Disorder

A mental or behavioral condition as classified in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision.

Causality

The relationship between cause and effect, where one event is understood to be the direct result of another.