Case Study: Autism Spectrum Disorder Seth, age 3, is the third child (and only b

Question

Case Study: Autism Spectrum Disorder

Seth, age 3, is the third child (and only boy) of Tom and Sue. He has been referred to a psychiatrist by their family physician at the request of the parents. Sue reports that she had a very difficult delivery of Seth, and he had needed oxygen at birth. Tom and Sue report that, from the very beginning, Seth has been “different” from their other children who have always enjoyed social interaction. Seth has tended to be aloof with a lack of response to social contact. When left with a babysitter, he often screams much of the time. His speech is limited and often confusing. For example, he often echos words and phrases he hears or has heard in the past. He may state, “Do you want to eat?” to indicate that he is hungry. His words are monotonistic and carry little, if any, inflection. He is fascinated by two things: objects that turn and music. He loves to listen to music and often dances in circles when listening. He has a favorite spinning top that he likes to carry around with him at all times. He is an expert at putting together jigsaw puzzles. He also likes to distribute kitchen utensils (particularly those with spinning parts) to various places around the house, and retrieval by Mom for their original use may precipitate temper tantrums lasting an hour or more, with screaming, kicking, and biting himself or others. Restoration of the status quo, playing his favorite music, or a long car ride is often the only way to interrupt these tantrums. The psychiatrist admits Seth to the child psychiatric unit with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder.

Explanation / Answer

Autism is a group of developmental brain disorder, collectively called Autism Spectrum Disorder. The specific characters of ASD will Seth play are marked difficulties in social interaction, social communication, restricted and repetitive interests and behaviour. specific examples to understand the Seth behaviour are he has been different from other children who have always enjoyed social interaction. Seth has tended to be aloof with a lack of response to social contact. When left with a babysister, he often screams much of the time. His speech is limited and often confusing. For example: he often echos words and phrases he hears in the past.His words are monotonistic and carry little, if any inflection. He is fascinated by two things: objects that turn round and music. He loves to listen to music and often dances in circles when listening. He has a favourite spinningntop that he likes to carry around with him all the times. The prevalence of ASD is about 1 in 100 children, almost 230000 australians have an ASDA and that is more prevalent in boys than girls. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, A well child checkup should include a developmental screening test, with specific ASD screening at 18 and 24 months as recommended. ASD can be diagnosed by two stage process. The first stage include general developmental screening during well child checkups with a pediatrician or an early childhood health care provider. Children who show some developmental problems are reffered for additional evaluation. The second stage involves a thorough evaluation by a team of doctors and other health proffesionals witha wide range of specialities. At this stage, a child may be diagnosed as having autism or another develop mental disorder.Children with ASD can usually be reliably diagnosed by age 2. some screening tests can be helpful at 18 months or even younger. Effective early intervention programs such as having special training for parents and family, measuring and recording each child's progress and adjusting the intervention program as needed.One type of a widely accepted treatment is applicable behavior analysis. ABA based interventions include: Verbal behavior, Pivotal response training, Interpersonal synchrony. The short term goals for Seth in treatment are an early diagnosis followed by early intervention provides the best opportunities for a child with autism. Early intervention, specialized education and srtuctured support can help develop an individuals skills. Every individual with ASD will make progress, although each individuals progress will be different. The long term goal sfor Seth is with the support of family, friends and service providers, individuals with ASD achieve a good quality of life. After your child is diagnosed with ASD, you should provide your child with the necessary care and education. Some resources should be provided to keep a record of conversations, meetings with health care providers and teachers and other sources of information.Give your child a best education in what he is best in activity of interest. Talk with your child's pediatrician, school system to find an autism expert in your area who can help you develop an intervention plan and find other local sources. Best medication for the child to reduce the symptoms that cause problems will be done in school or at home. Many other medications may be prescribed off-label for children with ASD include Antipsychotic medications, Antidepressant medications, Stimulant medications. A child with ASD may or may not respond in the same way to medications as typically developing children. The doctor will usually start your child on the lowest dose that helps control symptoms. Ask the doctor about any side effects of the medication and keep the record of how your child reacts to the medication. The doctor should regularly check your child's response to the treatment.

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