A child who does not pick up social cues and is highly sensitive to noises is most consistent with which diagnosis?

• A. Depression
• B. Anxiety
• C. Oppositional Defiant Disorder
• D. Autism Spectrum Disorder

Answer: (D)

Not picking up social cues paired with a strong reaction to everyday noises points to autism spectrum disorder. The key idea here is that this pattern reflects two core areas often affected in autism: social-communication differences and sensory processing differences. A child with ASD may have trouble understanding and responding to social signals like facial expressions, eye contact, and the give-and-take of conversations, making interactions feel one-sided or puzzling. They may also be highly sensitive to sounds, lights, textures, or other sensory input, sometimes becoming overwhelmed or distressed by noises that others barely notice.

While other conditions can involve mood or behavior changes, they don’t typically center on persistent social-communication challenges plus sensory differences. Depression focuses on mood and related symptoms; anxiety involves excessive worry and avoidance rather than a broad pattern of social cue processing deficits; oppositional defiant disorder centers on defiance toward authority and rule-breaking rather than foundational social-communication issues and sensory sensitivities.