Psychiatric Technician Practice Exam

What behavior might a client with a developmental disability continue, even if ignored?

1. Making loud noises

2. Eating cookies

3. Crying excessively

4. Repetitive hand movements

The correct answer is: Eating cookies

In the context of clients with developmental disabilities, certain behaviors may persist even when they are ignored because they serve as a form of self-soothing or self-stimulation. Engaging in eating behaviors, such as eating cookies, can provide comfort or gratification, and this may not necessarily be influenced by external attention or response. Eating, especially in individuals with developmental disabilities, can also be linked to sensory preferences or the pleasure derived from specific tastes or textures. This behavior may not rely on interaction or acknowledgment from others, distinguishing it from behaviors like making loud noises or crying excessively, which often seek social acknowledgment or response. Repetitive hand movements can also be a form of self-regulation or calming activity but may not necessarily be reinforced by environmental responses in the same manner. Thus, the act of eating cookies may continue uninterrupted because it is an intrinsic behavior that does not need external validation or attention to persist, shining light on the autonomous nature of certain habitual actions in individuals with developmental disabilities.