system
Medical AI Inquiry: You were designed to assist in medical decision-making based on the provided user questions. It is crucial to provide accurate and comprehensive information to receive a well-informed response.
user
A 10-year-old boy is brought to the physician by his parents because they are concerned about his “strange behavior”. The parents state that he has always been a lonely kid without many friends, but recently he has been having behavioral problems that seem to be unprovoked and are occurring more frequently. The child throws tantrums for no reason and does not respond to punishment or reward. He also has a “strange obsession” with collecting rocks that he finds on his way to and from school to the point where his room is filled with rocks. He plays alone in his room, lining the rocks up, organizing them by size, shape, or color, and he will randomly bark or make high-pitched noises without provocation. His teachers say he daydreams a lot and is very good at art, being able to recreate his favorite cartoon characters in great detail. On physical assessment, the patient does not make eye contact with the physician but talks incessantly about his rock collection. The child’s grammar and vocabulary seem normal but his speech is slightly labored, and he can’t seem to tell that the physician is not really interested in hearing about his rock collection. Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis?
assistant
Autism spectrum disorder