Client Scenario Paper

Client is a 52 year-old female. Client is a married and has four grown children. She is a retired firefighter and currently a paramedic. Client has a BFA and presently is enrolled in graduate school to become a mental health counselor. Client appears to be physically healthy and states she has no emotional, psychological, physical or spiritual issues at this time.

Autism has become an increasingly important public health concern as the number of yearly diagnoses of the disorder has increased since the late 20th century. The National Institute of Health estimates that 1 in 88 children in the United States are classified as having an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) (NINDS, 2009), a genetic neurodevelopmental disorder that impairs children 's ability to learn and causes issues with social interaction and communication. Symptoms of ASD include delays in speech and language, issues with social interaction, and unusual behaviors/routines.

Autism is a developmental disability that appears in children during their first three years of life. Autism affects the development of social and communication skills. This paper will discuss autism and the role that Occupational Therapist play in treating autism, and why this topic interests me.

The term autism spectrum disorders derive various definitions depending on the type of professional is questioned. A medical definition of autism spectrum disorders provided by the Mayo Clinic in 2014 states, “an autism spectrum disorder is a serious neurodevelopmental disorder that impairs a child 's ability to communicate and interact with others. It also includes restricted repetitive behaviors, interests and activities. These issues cause significant impairment in social, occupational and other areas of functioning.” This is not the definition that will be referenced in this paper. The definition that is applicable to this paper is the educational definition, mandated by federal law to be used in public schools. The educational definition of autism spectrum disorders according to the book Exceptional Learners: An Introduction to Special Education by Hallahan, Kauffman, and Pullen is “a disability wherein symptom fall on a continuum from relatively mild to severe; DSM-5 divides them into two general domains: ‘social communication impairment’ and ‘repetitive restricted behaviors.’” A

Autism is a disorder where children have deficiencies with interacting and communicating with others, statics show for people with autism that the cost of lifelong care can be reduced by two thirds with early diagnosis and intervention for Autism (2016, Autism Society). This disorder is important for me to research because my nephew struggles with doing most things with a group because of his social participation skills, as other children can adapt to easily. If his parents were educated, about occupational therapy and the effects it could have on his future, maybe they would advocate to get the services for him. As well as other parents with autistic children, rather than just dealing with the disorder

Joshua Abraham has just entered his first year at Evergreen Elementary School. He has received a diagnosis of autism and intellectual disability from the Royal Children’s Hospital when he was 4 years old. Karen Smith, Joshua’s Kindergarten teacher, and Emily Mills, the teacher assistant who works in Mrs Smith classroom, observed Joshua in his child care placement last May and met with the supported child care consultant who was familiar with Joshua’s program in the preschool setting.

The child has been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder with Apraxia since he was still a child.

When an affected child is around two to three years old, obvious signs of autism begin to appear (What is Autism?). Autism diagnosis requires symptoms from each of three categories. Most children with autism have abnormal social interaction. They may lack eye contact with others, fail to seek comfort, and not understand how to behave in social situations (Rodier). Because of this, affected children may feel lonely and not have many friends, as they don’t know how to act around their peers. The second category of symptoms is abnormal communication. Most children with autism have late language development and some never speak at all. If children are fluent speakers, they may talk endlessly about one topic. Affected people often use and take words in a very literal way (Rodier). Because of their abnormal communication, autistic children may have trouble participating in classroom settings. Later in life, they can have difficulties finding work. The third category used to diagnose autism is restricted and repetitive interests and behaviors. Many children with autism appear to have only one interest and they spend their time devoted to that interest. Many also have repetitive movements such as rocking back and forth and flapping their hands. “Children with autism often insist on sameness. They become distressed by changes in their environment or routine,” (Rodier). Other symptoms may include unprovoked tantrums and insensitivity to pain. Another common symptom is seizures, which one out of every four autistic children develops (Autism). All of these traits are common symptoms of autism which differ them from ‘normal’

Viewing this book as a professional, areas of occupational therapy practice that are well suited in correlation with autism are pediatrics, in patient rehab, outpatient rehab, home health, and mental health. Autism can be treated in many different settings, throughout the life span of the individual, this book provides the therapist with key insight straight from an autistic perspective on how they act, why they act, what they like and what they

A toddler with autism is increasingly more noticeable. They do not play with other children or toys. They would rather be left alone. They do not like when things change such as moving furniture to a different location. They like to maintain rituals. The most obvious symptoms consist of starring at hands, flapping arms or hands, walking on tiptoe, rocking, extreme tantrums, strange postures, unpredictable behavior, and hyperactivity. Also, an autistic child has a very poor sense of judgment, which can be very dangerous. He could run into a busy street without any fear. This is why is it important for someone to always be watching an autistic child.

When speaking about Autism, the image that usually comes to people’s minds is someone who doesn’t interact with others, doesn’t show emotions, and is a genius in some field of science or music. Though this might by the true picture of a person with autism, symptoms of people with Autism Spectrum Disorder can vary greatly. The main characteristics of ASD are: hardships in social behavior, repetitive behavior, interests in a specific subject or subject area, which cause “significant impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of current functioning.” ASD should be noticeable in the first couple of years of a child’s life. In the US, about 1 in every 68 children has ASD, boys being affected 4 to 5 times more than girls (nimh.nih.gov). The fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of mental Disorders,

You should treat each client new or old with a positive atmosphere. It is important to make your client feel relaxed, and this can be achieved by making sure your surroundings are calm, clean and smell nice with diffusers and soft music playing in the background. and by making sure you greet them looking clean, smart with a therapists jacket on and cheerful. You need to access whether treament can go ahead or if there are issues which make it not possible. If it is possible to proceed with treatment then a client consultation form needs to filled out so that you can gather their personal details and history and so that you have a record of what needs to be done and avoided. Once you and your client are happy that treatment should go ahead

Although assessment tools were created for the purpose of gathering information, different assessments are utilized for specific intentions. Nevertheless, some assessments are more necessary than others. In the case of Client X, further examination of her responses to the Hanes’ Road Assessment and art directive were contingent on the information collected from the mental health primary assessment. In conclusion, the usage of both clinical and art-based assessments provided an assortment of details, which supplied this clinician with in a multi-faceted perspective of Client X’s case. By viewing and assessing Client X in a holistic manner, this clinician was able to understand her individualistic needs during the treatment planning process.

Julia is a 12-year-old girl who attends a third-grade self-contained class at a public school in New Jersey. She was diagnosed with autism at the age of three years. Although Julia is independent with basic daily living skills, she has difficulty meeting demands of her occupational roles of a student, peer, and a family member. In addition, she exhibits a narrow range of occupational responses in the areas of learning, play, leisure, and social participation. Julia also exhibits difficulty organizing her behavior.

note: this paper has already been submitted to the school mentioned, all contents of this paper reflects the views of the author. this paper is purely original, and not based from any other paper. the format was predetermined by the professor.