Mrs. Matthews contacted the Children's Center for her daughter, Diane, who is now 5 years old. As soon as Diane was born, her mother thought her daughter was "different." Mrs. Matthews reported that the pediatrician found Diane to be in good health and predicted she would eventually outgrow her odd behaviors. Unfortunately, that does not seem to be the case. Diane does not make eye contact when she speaks and grunts if anyone tries to get too close to her. Diane has certain routines. For example, she has to line up all her dolls in a certain way before leaving the house. If a routine is interrupted, Diane becomes extremely upset and aggressive; that is, kicking and punching anyone who tries to comfort her. Diane's diagnosis is:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Diane displays several characteristics associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). These include difficulty with social communication (not making eye contact, grunting when someone gets too close), repetitive behaviors (lining up dolls in a certain way), and extreme distress when routines are disrupted (becoming upset and aggressive). While other disorders (such as developmental coordination disorder or rumination disorder) may cause certain difficulties, they do not fully capture the range of behaviors Diane exhibits. Adjustment disorder is a stress-related disorder that occurs when an individual has excessive difficulty adjusting to a stressor and is not appropriate in this case.

Mrs Matthews Contacted the Children's Center for Her Daughter, Diane