Question 1

You are babysitting your friend's autistic child. You have known them all of their life and think of them as part of your own family. While their sometimes unusual behaviour was confusing to you when you were initially getting to know them, as you learned more about Autism you gained a much better understanding of why they behave the way they do. You recently took them to a soccer game. You noticed they never seemed to be looking at the part of the field where the action was happening during the game. You had noticed them behaving similarly before but always assumed it was due to a lack of interest, though you know they love soccer. Based on prior work discussed in your textbook, what is one possible alternative explanation?

Accepted Answer

They may actually have difficulty tracking where other people are looking, which may affect what they pay attention to

Question 2

You are babysitting your friend's autistic child. You have known them all of their life and think of them as part of your own family. While their sometimes unusual behaviour was confusing to you when you were initially getting to know them, as you learned more about Autism you gained a much better understanding of why they behave the way they do. They seem to be extremely confused lately and you can't help but feel reminded of how one of your grandparents used to behave just before they were diagnosed with dementia. You wonder if, even just theoretically, someone as young as this child could be diagnosed with dementia. Is that possible?

Accepted Answer

Dementia can be diagnosed in people of any age, although it is more common in older adults. Conditions like Alzheimer's disease, which is a form of dementia, are rare in young people but can occur, indicating that dementia is not limited by age.

Quiz 16: Psychological Disorders