Asd Case Studies

There are several different assessments that can be used for victims of trauma to determine the level of stress and if a victim is suffering from Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. The best results will occur if the clinical work is directed at the symptoms expressed by the resulting trauma. When assessing the treatment plan, “the psychic injury caused by the event and its impact on the survivor’s normal life patterns and his or her worldview must be accounted for” (Everstine & Everstine, 2006, p.161). A person

The interviewee is asked to identify a “target” trauma, or index trauma, to link the symptoms with, however it can also be utilized to assess symptoms of any interviewee identified trauma (V. This version of the CPSS-I-5 assesses symptoms occurring only in the past month (Foa & Chapaldi, 2012). The CPSS-I-5 differs from the CPSS-SR (or Child PTSD Symptom Scale-Self Report) in that the CPSS-I-5 is completed in an interview format where the interviewer reads the questions out loud to the client versus the CPSS-SR where the client fills it out independently. The assessment yields a total symptom severity score ranging from 0-80, and a total severity-of-impairment score ranging from 0-28 across 7 domains (Foa et. al., 2001). On both CPSS-I and CPSS-SR, receiving a score of 0-10 results in a below threshold score of PTSD symptoms, 11-15 results in a subclinical-mild score of PTSD symptoms, 16-20 results in a mild score of PTSD symptoms, 21-25 results in a moderate score of PTSD symptoms, 26-30 results in a moderately severe score of PTSD symptoms, 31-40 results in a severe score of PTSD symptoms and 41-51 results in a score of extremely severe symptoms (Foa et. al., 2001). Both the CPSS-I and CPSS-SR have displayed good to excellent reliability and validity (Gillihan et al., 2013). One-week test-rest reliability was assessed for CPSS-SR and received a reliability score of r=.86. CPSS-I scores was also excellent (r = .87) (Gillihan, Et. Al., 2013). Both the CPSS-SR and the CPSS-I demonstrated symptom based diagnostic agreement of 85.5% (Gillihan, Et. Al.,

First, 2000). Some people may even try to block out part of the events that occurred all together. A similar disorder in symptoms is known as Acute Stress Disorder. The difference between these two diagnoses is that acute stress disorder only last two days to four weeks and requires less symptoms to make a diagnosis.

Research has found that on average 33% of youths in the juvenile justice system are identified as disabled and eligible for special services. However, there has been little research studying the characteristics or prevalence rates of youth with ASD in the criminal justice system. Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) commonly have impairments in communication, social skills, deficits in abstract thoughts and specific interests that could prevent individuals with ASD from understanding legal and illegal behaviors. It is also suspected that the high rates of psychiatric comorbidity associated with ASD, for example ADHD, may increase the risk of delinquency in youth with ASD.

Roger Evans is a 5-year-old enrolled in general education kindergarten classes. Roger has been identified as having ASD during a routine check-up at the age of three. Roger’s parents had been unemployed and receiving government aid. Roger’s parents have not been taking advantage of supportive resources. Mr. and Mrs. Evans have not informed the school that Roger has been identified as having ASD. During the first week, Roger’s teacher Ms. Moore observed Roger sporadically sitting by himself during lunch and recess rocking back and forth and hitting himself in the face. Ms. Moore also noticed that Roger was anti-social with his peers. Ms. Moore recorded her observations for two weeks. Roger’s behavior became a daily occurrence. Ms. Moore met with the principal, counselor, special education, and Roger’s parents to discuss her concerns. Roger’s parents admitted that Roger had been identified with ASD and has been fine at home.

The TSI, a 100 item self-report measure of posttraumatic stress and other psych sequelae of traumatic events, takes on a cognitive behavioral therapy and psychodynamic orientation. It is composed at a 5th grade reading level to ensure fairness and clarity to most, and it is fairly quick to take, and to score afterwards. Respondents are asked to rate how often each symptom has happened to them in the past 6 months. They rate the symptoms on a 4 point Likert scale ranging from 0 “never” to 3 “often.” It is composed of 10 clinical scales used to assess the variety of symptom domains related to trauma. The clinical scales are: Anxious Arousal (AA), Depression (D), Anger/Irritability (AI), Intrusive Experience (IE), Defensive Avoidances (DA), Dissociation

This clinician will also assess Kyle for complex trauma because he has flashed back memories about the some childhood abuse. This clinician also used, The Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS) and The Structured Interview for Disorders of Extreme Stress (SIDES). The CAPS and SIDES scores the present and lifetime PTSD and DESNOS criteria, explores experiences related to complex trauma, such as guilt, and disillusionment with authority, dissociation, affect dysregulation, memory impairment, somatization, self- perception, homicidality, relationships with others, depression, and feelings of being overwhelmed (Briere and Scoot, 2013). Likewise, scoring alterations in attention or consciousness, hopelessness, and systems of

(2.) Acute stress disorder is characterized by panic, mental confusion, dissociation, severe insomnia, suspiciousness, and being unable to manage even basic self-care, work, and relationship activities.

It is now listed under the category, Trauma-and-Stressors-Related Disorders. (Friedman n.d.). Onset of symptoms must have had been compounded or originated after exposure to a traumatic incident. (Friedman n.d.). A person is exposed to an actual or threatened death, injury, or sexual violence. Symptoms include:

Post-traumatic stress disorders also none as PTSD. In 1980 the American psychiatric association added PTSD to the third edition of its diagnostic and statistical manual of mental diagnostic nosologic classification scheme although controversial when first introduced the PTSD diagnosis has filled an important gap in psychiatric theory and practice from an historical perspective the significant change ushered in by the PTSD concept was the stipulation that that the etiological agent was outside the individual traumatic event rather than an inherent individual weakness traumatic neurosis they key to understanding the scientific basis and clinical expression of PTSD is the concept of trauma. The formulation a traumatic event was conceptualized as catastrophic stressor that was outside the range of usual human experiences. The framers of the original PTSD diagnosis had in mind events such as war, torture, rape, natural disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes, and volcano eruptions and human made disaster such as airplanes crashes, and automobile accidents they considered traumatic events to be clearly different from the very painful stressors that constitute the normal vicissitudes of life such as divorce, failure, rejection, serious illness, financial reverses, and the like by the logic adverse psychological responses to such ordinary stressors would be characterized as adjustment disorders rather than PTSD this dichotomization between

This Criterion C is what distinguishes ASD from PTSTD. The most common reason among literature for this distinction is that this time frame allows for the person to naturally develop resiliency and recover on their own. It is important to note that trauma is subjective, what may be a traumatic event for one person might not be for another. It was for these reasons that ASD was included in the DSM-III. With the DSM-IV, there was another distinction between ASD and PTSD, ASD required that the client have dissociative symptoms in order to meet the diagnosis (Koucky, 2012), however this criteria changed with the DSM-V. Half of those who are diagnosed with ASD will eventually progress to PTSD (American Psychiatric Association,

Hersen & Beidel (2012) state that “comorbidity is a major concern when diagnosing PTSD” (p. 437). American Psychiatric Association (2013) state “individuals with PTSD are 80% likely to meet criteria for at least one other mental disorder” (p.280). Dziegielewski & Turnage (2015) identified 10 disorders counselor should be cognizant of in order to accurately differentiate PTSD from other trauma-stress disorders. Studies also revealed that PTSD comorbidities interrelationship are with all internalizing disorders, alcohol use disorder, and mood disorders (Hersen & Beidel, 2012). DSM-5 identifies 10 disorders with overlapping responses for counselors to evaluate during their prognosis. The differentiate criteria’s that separate PTSD from other disorders range from “symptom duration and patterns, causation of anxiety, absent PTSD symptoms, psychotic features, interpersonal difficulties, brain injury, and psychological effects of a substance or medical condition” (American Psychiatric Association,

In 2013, the American Psychiatric Association revised the criteria for diagnosis of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The newest edition, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) includes a new category, Trauma and Stress Related Disorders (Pomeroy, 2015). Psychological conditions under this category comprise of disorders that result from exposure to trauma or external stressor(s). Stress related disorders such as, PTSD are often associated with a number of inclusive, debilitating symptoms (Pomeroy, 2015). The symptoms following are described as having anxiety or fear-based characteristics that include a prominence of anger, aggression, and dissociative symptoms (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). According to Pomeroy (2015), there are many assessment tools for clinicians to choose from depending on the clinical goal, but for treatment purposes it is advised to choose an assessment tool with “greater sensitivity to change, such as a semi structured interview tool” (p. 183). The Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS) is an instrument widely used to diagnosis and evaluate

When a traumatic event occurs, individuals are at a high risk for developing Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Acute Stress Disorder (ASD). The first similarity is both disorders follow an experience or event involving actual or threaten death or physical injury to self or others (Brewin, Andrews, Rose, & Kirk, 1999). Once the individual feels threatened, the response is the same for PTSD and ASD, which are intense fear, helplessness, and horror (Brewin et al., 1999).

Inclusion of posttraumatic stress disorder in the DSM-III was a landmark victory in recognizing the legitimacy of the disorder. Short for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the DSM presents over two hundred mental disorders with a list of symptoms which are each required to make a diagnosis. The manual also lists the history of the disorder, potential complications, factors which aid a person’s predisposition to a particular illness, and similar disorders which may pose problems for accurate diagnosis. Over the previous two editions, the DSM-I and DSM-II, the DSM-III carried more authority through the rigorous procedures of the fourteen separate advisory committees consisting of top expects in mental health and with backing by the American Psychiatric Association and the National Institute of Mental Health. The most thorough and authoritative text on diagnosing mental disorders, the DSM-III became a