BCBA

REASON FOR REFERRAL

Carter Jackson. The child in question is suspected to be having autistic symptoms. The test is aimed at understanding the risk factors of the child and whether the child is already autistic. The child is referred so that the possible preventive measures can be undertaken and the future deterioration of the child can be effectively reduced.

ASSESSMENT TECHNIQUES

(M-CHAT-R/F)TM Test is used to understand whether the child in question is Autistic and what the risk factors are in the future for the child. The technique involves the study of behavioral aspects of the child, which includes whether the child intends to climb up things, whether the child is prone to copying the people around or the teacher who is the person reporting or informing about the child primarily.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The informant is the teacher of the child, the relationship is of teacher and student, the child is small and requires extra care for the various problems he faces for which the student is examined.

ASSESSMENT RESULTS AND INTERPRETATION:

The shared scale of the M-CHAT-R TM is utilized to understand the risk factor for autism. The questions are aimed at understanding the level of risk that can be associated with the child and whether the risk can be classified as low risk, moderate risk or high risk.

Score- 9

The scale indicates that the particular child is affected by High Risk of autism but the child is yet not completely affected by the disease. The high risk indicates that it is acceptable to bypass the Follow-Up and refer immediately for diagnostic evaluation and eligibility evaluation for early intervention. Diagnostic intervention is necessary for the student at this particular stage because if nit diagnosed in this stage then it is possible that the student may be actually affected by the disease in the near future. The diagnostics in the process includes the proper assessment of the behavioral aspects of the child and to understand what are the clinical and other solutions that can lead to a better future for the child. The teacher is the informant in this particular case and the teacher is supposed to provide her assistance to the medical care givers who are associated with the case so that the efficiency of the treatment increases. High risk children need specialized care for them which is important to help the child in improving his health.

SUMMARY

            This is true that the improvement in the patients who are having autism is often slow and it is generally held that the disease cannot be cured totally (Eyal, 2013). However it is seen that in the mid-teens often the patients how dramatic improvement. There are certain responsive therapies that improve the outcomes which re known as directive therapies. One such therapy is the ABA technique or Applied Behavior Analysis (Heitzman-Powell et al., 2014). These are trainings based on pivotal response. There are other approaches which are naturalistic and fall under the same category of treatment.  In this particular case the student is to be treated to similar methods. The general process used for treating autistic children is the ASD diagnosis however it has been noticed that the children suffering from autism come out of this particular disorder naturally with age as they grow up. It has been found in most cases that 7 percent children’s symptoms are cured with age.

            There questions are aimed at understanding the behavioral aspects of the student. Question number 3 states “does your child play pretend or make believe?”, question 9 states that “does your child show you things by bringing them to you or holding them up for you to see- not to get help, but just to share?”, these questions are mainly aimed at understanding the behavior of the child. The analysis of the behavioral aspects of the child is important to finalize treatment options so that the future chances of autism can be reduced to a considerable extent. The diagnostics can be done in various methods and in this particular case the ABA method is chosen based on the risk factor of the student and how much the particular method would be helpful for the student (Hurt et al., 2013). The questionnaires are related directly to the therapy as the ABA therapy is based on the analysis of the present status of the student who is diagnosed.

            The child in this case also is expected to be cured in the near future with age. In this context it has been discovered that there are cases of fraudulent cures. Most of the processes of cure in this problem are still not discovered and hence the cure of this particular disease called autism is a matter of mystery. There are some tests to understand the level of autism in a child. The most common option of treating children suffering from autism include behavioral analysis based on intensive courses.

            ABA therapy is believed to be the most flexible treatment as it can be applied on different people in unique ways depending upon needs of them (Orinstein et al., 2014). This therapy can be provided in various locations including schools, homes, and community centers. It can involve one to one teaching process or group interactions. The skills taught and passed on are generally applicable and proved to be useful in everyday lives. One of the main strategies used in this positive reinforcement. In this process of reinforcement a particular behavior is identified and seen as the goal to be reached and the person under cure is treated with values and rewards for achieving the goals so that the concerned behavior is repeated. This encourages a positive change in the behavior of the autistic child. Over a long period of time this method is proven to cause improvement and improved changes in behavior of the child. It helps to develop positive skills and enables the person to continue with the same. It does not have any set of goals or drills and is planned according to the needs of the child. In certain cases the specific needs and preferences of families are also included. The goals can include various areas including social skills, motor skills, play and leisure, academic skills, language and communication skills, and also skills related to self-care and growth. The process consists of small yet concrete steps.

Conclusion 

            This particular student is at high risk of autism, however if care is taken at the right moment then it is expected that there will be possible improvements in the behavior of the student and will be helpful for his personal development and growth. It is important in these cases that proper diagnosis is done before the treatment.

Reference

Eyal, G. (2013). For a sociology of expertise: The social origins of the autism epidemic. American Journal of Sociology, 118(4), 863-907.

Heitzman-Powell, L. S., Buzhardt, J., Rusinko, L. C., & Miller, T. M. (2014). Formative evaluation of an ABA outreach training program for parents of children with autism in remote areas. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 29(1), 23-38.

Hurt, A. A., Grist, C. L., Malesky Jr, L. A., & McCord, D. M. (2013). Personality traits associated with occupational ‘burnout’in ABA therapists. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 26(4), 299-308.

Orinstein, A. J., Helt, M., Troyb, E., Tyson, K. E., Barton, M. L., Eigsti, I. M., … & Fein, D. A. (2014). Intervention for optimal outcome in children and adolescents with a history of autism. Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics: JDBP, 35(4), 247-256.