What condition is characterized by a child who is unable to recognize familiar faces?

The condition that is characterized by a child who is unable to recognize familiar faces is prosopagnosia, also known as face blindness. This neurological condition affects a person's ability to recognize faces, including those of family members and friends. It is not related to visual impairment but is instead a cognitive issue where the brain has difficulty processing facial features and distinguishing one face from another.

Children with prosopagnosia may struggle in social situations because they cannot effectively identify people by their faces, which can hinder their ability to interact and build relationships. This condition can stem from a variety of causes, including developmental issues or brain damage to areas involved in facial recognition, such as the fusiform gyrus.

While Alzheimer's disease involves memory loss and cognitive decline in older adults and may lead to difficulty recognizing familiar faces as the disease progresses, it primarily affects older populations and is not specific to childhood. Dyslexia refers to difficulties in reading and does not impact facial recognition abilities, while amnesia is typically associated with memory loss related to specific experiences or learning. Therefore, prosopagnosia most accurately describes the inability to recognize familiar faces as presented in the question.