MCAT Social and Behavioral Sciences : Language and Cognition
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Example Questions
Example Question #1 : Consciousness And Thought
What is the most likely diagnosis in a 6-year-old child with speech that is characterized by broken words produced with an excess of physical tension, silent blocking, and sound and syllable repetitions?
Primitive neuroectodermal tumor
Complex partial seizure
Childhood-onset fluency disorder
Tourette's disorder
Transient ischemic attack
Childhood-onset fluency disorder
Childhood-onset fluency disorder is the correct answer. It is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by disturbances in the normal fluency and time patterning of speech that is inappropriate for the child's age. It can also present with anxiety about speaking. The symptoms of frequent repetitions and other speech dysfluencies presented here characterize this disorder.
Example Question #2 : Consciousness And Thought
Which of the following make up the most likely misarticulated speech sounds in a 10-year-old patient with persistent difficulties in the clear articulation of the individual sounds that combine to make up spoken words?
s, z, and th
h, w, and k
p, b, and m
t, d, and ng
f, y, and g
s, z, and th
The correct answer is "s, z, and th." The presence of speech production difficulties that are outside normal limits and not due to congenital or acquired conditions is pathognomonic for speech sound disorder. Speech sound disorder may occur when children with speech production difficulties have difficulty with phonological knowledge of speech sounds or articulation.
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