Reference no: EM133679169

Mary Lynn Dodson knew that as soon as her son, Lou, was born, he was somehow "different." She remembered that Lou never liked to be held. "If I tried to cuddle him, he would cry something awful and arch his back. It was so hard to keep him close to me," she added. Lou seemed to be in his own world and rarely even looked at his mother. He often rocked himself back and forth in his crib. Aside from grunting noises, Lou did not talk. As Lou grew older, Ms. Dodson observed that he would get upset if there was even the slightest change in his routine. His favorite toy was his train set. His mother reported that Lou was fascinated with the wheels and would spin them repeatedly. Lou's diagnosis is: