Question 1

Cognitive-behaviour therapy with mentally retarded children:

Accepted Answer

A)   Is the primary method used for teaching them self-care skills.
B)   Is combined with insight therapies to help them understand and cope with rejection.
C)   Focuses on teaching the children to use self-instructions to guide their academic efforts.
D)   Is inappropriate, since such children are unable to grasp the concepts. C

Question 2

What are some reasons that autistic children score low on intelligence tests?

Accepted Answer

There are several reasons why autistic children might score lower on traditional intelligence tests, and these reasons often relate to the nature of both autism and the design of the tests themselves. Here are some of the factors that can contribute to lower scores for autistic children on intelligence tests:

1. **Communication Challenges**: Many autistic children have difficulties with verbal communication, which can significantly impact their performance on tests that rely heavily on language skills. If a child struggles to understand the questions or express their thoughts verbally, their scores may not accurately reflect their true cognitive abilities.

2. **Social Understanding**: Some intelligence tests require understanding social cues or interpreting social situations, which can be challenging for autistic individuals due to the social and communication difficulties that are characteristic of autism spectrum disorders.

3. **Sensory Sensitivities**: Autistic children may be more sensitive to sensory input such as bright lights, strong smells, or background noise. These sensitivities can make it difficult for them to concentrate in the testing environment, potentially affecting their performance.

4. **Rigid Thinking and Behavior**: Autistic individuals often prefer routine and may have difficulty with the flexible thinking required by some test questions. They might struggle with abstract concepts or hypothetical scenarios that are commonly found in intelligence assessments.

5. **Motor Skills Difficulties**: Some autistic children have fine and gross motor skill challenges, which can impact their ability to complete certain tasks on a test, especially those that require writing or manipulating objects.

6. **Test Design**: Traditional intelligence tests are often not designed with neurodiverse populations in mind. They may not accommodate the unique ways in which autistic children process information and demonstrate their knowledge, leading to an underestimation of their true intellectual abilities.

7. **Anxiety and Stress**: The testing situation itself can be stressful for autistic children, who may become anxious or overwhelmed. Anxiety can impair cognitive function and test performance, leading to scores that do not accurately represent the child's intelligence.

8. **Executive Functioning**: Autistic individuals may have difficulties with executive functioning, including planning, organizing, and sustaining attention. These challenges can affect their ability to follow multi-step directions or manage the time constraints of a test.

9. **Literal Interpretation**: Autistic children often interpret language very literally. This can be problematic on tests that use figurative language or require the understanding of idioms and metaphors.

10. **Interest and Engagement**: Autistic individuals may have intense and focused interests, and if the test content does not align with these interests, they may not be as motivated or engaged, which can affect their performance.

It's important to note that while some autistic children may score lower on traditional intelligence tests, this does not necessarily mean they have lower intelligence. Rather, it may indicate that the tests are not capturing their unique cognitive profile. Alternative assessment methods that are more tailored to the strengths and challenges of autistic individuals can provide a more accurate measure of their intellectual abilities.

Question 3

Children labelled "hyperactive" would be diagnosed as having _________________ in DSM-5.

Accepted Answer

A)   conduct disorder
B)   attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder
C)   oppositional defiant disorder
D)   pervasive developmental disorder B

Question 4

Shauna has separation anxiety disorder. When she cannot be with her mother, she feels anxious. In addition, she:

Accepted Answer

A)   Cries
B)   Cannot sustain attention
C)   Experiences physiological arousal
D)   Becomes aggressive

Question 5

Cognitive misattributions, such as assuming that a neutral action by a peer was really meant to be aggressive, is common to individuals with ADHD; however, similar misattributions are found in some children with ________________ .

Accepted Answer

A)   anxiety disorders
B)   mood disorders
C)   conduct disorder
D)   elimination disorders

Question 6

What is the probable IQ range for George? George is 25 years old and has spent all his adult life in an institution. He takes care of himself fairly well but needs help getting his shoes on the right feet and needs someone to cut his food. Congenital abnormalities limit his speech. He participates in activities if encouraged but, otherwise, spends his time sitting passively.

Accepted Answer

A)   50 to 70
B)   35 to 50
C)   20 to 35
D)   below 20

Question 7

Most people with mental retardation are classified as moderately mentally retarded.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 8

How does oppositional defiant disorder (ODd) differ from conduct disorder (CD)?

Accepted Answer

A)   Children with ODD do not exhibit extreme physical aggressiveness
B)   Children with ODD do not typically lose their temper
C)   Children with ODD will usually comply with requests from adults
D)   Children with ODD are not vindictive

Question 9

How many Canadian children have clinically important disorders?

Accepted Answer

A)   About 250,000
B)   About 500,000
C)   About 750,000
D)   More than 800,000

Question 10

Billy is a 9 year old boy who has been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. What type of treatment would you recommend for him and why do you think it will help?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Billy is a 9 year old boy...

Question 11

Neurological studies (Haas et al., 1996) have found abnormalities in which part of the brains of autistic individuals?

Accepted Answer

A)   Prefrontal cortex
B)   Left hemisphere language centers
C)   Cerebellum
D)   Limbic system

Question 12

Autistic children typically score in what range on intelligence tests?

Accepted Answer

A)   Below 50
B)   Below 70
C)   85 to 105
D)   100 to 115

Question 13

How do disorders of undercontrol differ from learning disabilities? Are there any possible similarities?

Accepted Answer

The answer of How do disorders of undercontrol differ from...

Question 14

A diagnosis of intellectual disability disorder may not be made if the problem begins:

Accepted Answer

A)   After age 6.
B)   After age 12.
C)   After age 18.
D)   After age 21.

Question 15

According to recent statistics, which of the following mental health disorders is most prevalent among Canadian children?

Accepted Answer

A)   Mood disorders
B)   Autism
C)   Anxiety disorders
D)   Communication disorders

Question 16

Margaret, a mentally retarded 35-year-old, lives in an institution and requires nursing care and constant supervision. She is unable to walk, go to the bathroom independently, or speak. What range does Margaret's IQ most likely fall into?

Accepted Answer

A)   50 to 70
B)   35 to 55
C)   20 to 40
D)   below 25

Question 17

Phonological disorder would be characterized by which of the following cases?

Accepted Answer

A)   Carla, age 8, switches letters when reading and writing.
B)   Jason, age 6, is unable to count objects or recognize numerical symbols.
C)   Jonathan, age 6, does not articulate clearly when speaking.
D)   Meredith, age 10, has difficulty comprehending what others say.

Question 18

Brain imaging studies (Gao et al., 2010; Jones et al., 2009; Marsh et al., 2008) on the biological bases of cognitive and affective deficits found in antisocial youths show that these youths experience:

Accepted Answer

A)   Autonomic arousal to the distress of others
B)   Amygdala hyporeactivity to the distress of others
C)   An increase in amygdala-ventromedial prefrontal cortex connectivity
D)   All of the above

Question 19

Conduct disorder with an early onset in childhood (prior to age 10) is most likely to lead to which adult disorder?

Accepted Answer

A)   Schizophrenia
B)   Sadistic personality disorder
C)   Antisocial personality disorder
D)   Paranoid personality disorder

Question 20

Leilani Muir was:

Accepted Answer

A)   A lawmaker who pushed for reform of the Sexual Sterilization Act
B)   A mentally retarded woman who was sexually sterilized without consent
C)   A woman of average intelligence who was sexually sterilized without consent
D)   A woman of average intelligence who was not able to obtain consensual sexual sterilization

Exam 15: Disorders of Childhood