Monte Is a 3-Year-Old Boy Recently Diagnosed with Autistic Disorder

question 37

Multiple Choice

Monte is a 3-year-old boy recently diagnosed with autistic disorder. He appears completely unresponsive to his parents and shows no indication of any language development. Monte seems uninterested in communication of any kind and has significant rituals such as lining up his toys and realigning them every few minutes. He becomes hysterical if anyone interrupts his ritualistic activity. On an IQ assessment designed for very young children, Monte's score was extremely low. His prognosis is poor primarily because of

• A) lack of language acquisition and low IQ.
• B) low IQ and early age of onset.
• C) early age of onset and lack of language acquisition.
• D) ritualistic behavior and disinterest in his parents.

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Definitions:

New Environment

An unfamiliar or changed setting or context that requires adaptation and may affect behavior, emotions, and cognitive processes.

Conditioned Response

A learned response to a previously neutral stimulus that, after becoming associated with an unconditioned stimulus, elicits a reaction.

Sensory Systems

Complex networks of neurons and receptor cells responsible for detecting and processing sensory information from the environment.

Fear

An emotional response to a perceived threat, involving physiological, behavioral, and cognitive elements.