Leo has recently been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). He struggles to work in groups at school because he becomes highly upset if his classmates do not follow his strict schedule. He also struggles to understand when his peers are teasing him or using sarcasm, often taking their comments literally. Additionally, Leo refuses to join in when his sister plays 'office' using old calculators, insisting that "they are just broken plastic, not real computers."
Leo's teacher recently read an article suggesting that autism is primarily caused by genetic factors and atypical brain development.
Discuss how far one other explanation can account for Leo's autism. You must make reference to the context in your answer.
Practise Edexcel A Level Psychology Content with exam-style questions for A Level Psychology. 1,059 questions covering Bowlby's work on attachment, Ainsworth and the Strange Situation, Research into deprivation, Research into privation, Research into day care, Cross-cultural research into attachment, Autism, Individual differences, and Developmental psychology, matched to the Edexcel A Level Psychology (9PS0) specification and written in Paper 1, Paper 2 and Paper 3 style. Every question includes a full worked solution and mark scheme, so you can see where marks are awarded rather than just whether you got the answer right.
