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6 y/o child in 1st grade is doing very poorly. WISC-R IQ score is 60. Compared with other children his age he has sig. impairment in social skill, dressing, language, and feeding. What is the Dx?

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Final answer:

A 6-year-old child with a WISC-R IQ score of 60 and significant impairments in various adaptive functioning areas may be diagnosed with intellectual disability (ID). Considering the impaired social skills and other deficits, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can also be a comorbid condition. However, given the low IQ score, ID is the primary diagnosis.

Step-by-step explanation:

The diagnosis for a 6-year-old child in the 1st grade with a WISC-R IQ score of 60 who also presents with significant impairments in social skill, dressing, language, and feeding is likely intellectual disability (ID). According to the American Psychiatric Association (APA), if a person earns an IQ score approximately two standard deviations below the mean on an intelligence test (about 70 on a test with a mean of 100), has major deficits in adaptive functioning, and these cognitive and adaptive deficits were present before the age of 18, they could be diagnosed with ID. This condition, previously known as mental ret_ardation, includes four subtypes: mild, moderate, severe, and profound. In this case, the child's adaptive functioning is impaired in several areas, which strongly indicates an ID.

Given that impaired social skills is a characteristic symptom, related conditions such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) should be considered as well. Children with ASD may present with difficulties in making eye contact, reading social cues, and may exhibit repetitive behaviors or strict adherence to certain rituals. However, because a low IQ is also part of this child's presentation, ID is the more likely diagnosis rather than, or possibly in addition to, ASD.

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