AIIMS Raipur lecturer 2021
Mental Health Nursing
Easy

is a mental disorder characterized by absent mental smile, lack of eye contact, abnormal social play and inability to communicate in children.

Appeared in: AIIMS Raipur lecturer 2021

Explanation

  • The symptoms listed—deficits in social-emotional reciprocity (absent smile), nonverbal communication (lack of eye contact), developing relationships (abnormal social play), and communication—are the core diagnostic criteria for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
  • These signs typically appear in the early developmental period, often within the first two years of life.
  • ASD is defined by a combination of persistent deficits in social communication and interaction across multiple contexts, along with restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities.
  • The cluster of symptoms presented in the question points directly to ASD and not to disorders of thought (delusion), behavior (delinquency), or anxiety (OCD).

Why Other Options Were Wrong

  • Option B: Delusion is a symptom of a psychotic disorder, such as schizophrenia. It is a fixed, false belief and is not a primary feature of a developmental disorder like autism.
  • Option C: Juvenile delinquency is a legal and social term, not a clinical diagnosis. It refers to unlawful behavior by a minor and does not describe a specific pattern of developmental deficits.
  • Option D: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is characterized by intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors (compulsions) aimed at reducing anxiety. While children with autism can have repetitive behaviors, OCD does not include the fundamental deficits in social communication and interaction that define autism.

Related Visual

Visual explanation — Related Visual
Clinical Relevance
  • Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Core clinical features of Autism Spectrum Disorder in children as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
  • Nurses play a crucial role in the early screening and identification of ASD. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends screening all children at 18 and 24 months.
  • Early diagnosis and intervention for ASD are critical for improving long-term outcomes in communication, social skills, and adaptive behavior.
  • When caring for a child with ASD in a hospital setting, nurses must prioritize maintaining routines, using clear and simple communication, and creating a low-stimuli, safe environment to prevent distress and agitation.
How to Approach the Question
  • First, analyze the question stem to identify the key symptoms presented: absent social smile, no eye contact, abnormal play, and communication difficulties.
  • Recognize that this is a 'definition' style question, asking you to match a set of clinical signs to the correct disorder.
  • Systematically evaluate each option against the symptom cluster.
  • Option A (Autism): The symptoms are classic hallmarks of Autism Spectrum Disorder.
  • Option B (Delusion): This is a thought disturbance, not a developmental disorder defined by social deficits.
  • Option C (Juvenile delinquency): This is a legal term for behavior, not a clinical diagnosis for these symptoms.
Concept Tested & Keywords
  • Concept Tested: Core clinical features of Autism Spectrum Disorder in children.
  • Stem keywords: mental disorder, absent mental smile, lack of eye contact, abnormal social play, inability to communicate, children
  • Lead-in keywords: BEST, MOST RELEVANT CLUE
  • Clinical cues: The question lists a cluster of symptoms related to social and communication deficits, which is a key indicator for a specific type of developmental disorder.
  • Negative lead-in flag: false

Question ID

QDix5WOvAX-CU4cWJFhTR5

Reference Book

E6 Robert Boland, Marcia L. Verduin - Kaplan and Sadock's Comprehensive Text of Psychiatry-Wolters Kluwer Health (2024) (pp 1-16525 of 16525) p. 15507-15510

E6 Kaplan Sadock's Synopsis of Psychiatry-2022 (pp 1-3768 of 3768) p. 390-392

E6 Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics(2024) — Volume 1 p. 423-425

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