Patient History: A 4-year-old boy is brought to the general practitioner by his mother. The nursery school has suggested she bring him and ask for an autism assessment. The mother is distressed. This is their first child and they have no nephews or nieces to compare him with. The nursery school says he sits on his own and bangs toys together.
In the home corner, he piles things up on top of each other but does not enter into the role play that some of the other children enjoy. His mother describes that he has always preferred to play on his own if other children are around. He also has a fascination for things that spin such as fans and carwashes, and sometimes he will pick up pieces of string, paper or plastic and twirl them in his fingers, watching intently. When excited he jumps up and down on his toes or flaps his hands. Mental status examination: In the surgery, he stands in front…
