Reference no: EM132357456

Benjamin is a 4-year-old male who is being evaluated because his mom is afraid that he may be schizophrenic. There is a history of schizophrenia in the mother's family; her maternal aunt, one sister, and one of her brother's children were all diagnosed with schizophrenia. Today she reports that Benjamin has episodes during which he appears to be hallucinating. Sometimes he seems to see things that aren't there, and other times he actually talks with and plays with imaginary people. The PMHNP continues to gather information from the mother and Benjamin and plans to do some observation of Benjamin during play. When considering a diagnosis of early-onset schizophrenia, the PMHNP considers all of the following except:

A. There are virtually no reports of schizophrenia onset before age 5

B. Hallucinations are significantly more predictive of schizophrenia than delusions in young children

C. Benjamin's symptoms are more likely a consequence of developmental immaturity

D. Benjamin's family history should always be considered, but at this point the diagnosis is very unlikely