You will select from two case studies, one of a child experiencing symptoms of autism and the other experiencing symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Putting on the hat of a clinician, you will provide a written report of what you would say to the parents of this child, including symptoms, treatment options, and prognosis.
To prepare for this Assignment:
- Review information on disorders that begin in childhood.
- Read through and choose one of the two case studies to explore in your Assignment (autism or ADHD).
- Utilize at least one of the websites provided for support, depending on your chosen case.
- Utilize at least one peer-reviewed journal article to support your treatment recommendation.
- Consider the following scenario, in which you presume the role of a clinician: You have recently met with Maria and her family. As an infant, Maria rarely showed interest in her parents or toys. Now, at 5 years old, she does not use intelligible words to communicate with her parents. She will not tolerate being read to. She likes to watch the same recorded television program over and over. She screams loudly and begins to hit herself when the program shuts off. She quickly becomes calm when the program resumes.
- Your evaluation has determined that Maria meets the criteria for autism spectrum disorder. Maria’s parents are coming to your office tomorrow to discuss the results of your evaluation.
- Prepare a written report of what you will tell Maria’s parents about autism spectrum disorder. Be sure to cover the symptoms that Maria meets from the DSM-5 Checklist.
- Discuss symptoms of autism spectrum disorder in light of normal development in the following domains: language, cognition, emotion, and social. In other words, what is noticeably abnormal in children with autism spectrum disorder versus what you might see in their same-age peers?
- Summarize the research evidence on the effectiveness of different approaches to treatment, based on your textbook reading and at least one peer-reviewed journal article. Include your final treatment recommendation to Maria’s parents.
- Consider how you might answer if the parents ask, “How did our child end up with this disorder? What did we do wrong? Is there any hope for her?”
- To close your paper, based on what you have reviewed in your textbook as a whole regarding disorders in childhood, make a comment about how you could be an advocate for social change for children struggling with these disorders.
