ASD Case Study- Molly

ASD Case Study- Molly

Introduction

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can be defined as a mental disorder characterized by impaired social interaction and communication. People with ASD may have difficulty communicating and interacting socially with peers. Furthermore, they may also have repetitive behaviors and interests, as well as sensory processing issues (Sauer et al., 2021). The case scenario concerns Molly, a 4-year-old child with autism spectrum disorder who presents with significant expressive and receptive language deficits, difficulty following instructions, transitioning through activities, and sensory-seeking needs. She also exhibits fear of social situations, engages in stereotypical behaviors, and has short concentration time and impaired motor function. This paper aims to analyze how to address Molly’s issues in early childhood in terms of behavioral skills, cognitive skills, social and emotional skills, and cognitive and sensory-motor skills. The paper will also provide specific strategies and environmental changes that will help Molly.

Behavior Skills

It was apparent from the case scenario that Molly had behavioral issues that would be crucial if addressed. To address Molly’s behavioral skills, it would be important to involve her teacher in applying certain strategies for promoting behavioral change. These include rewarding positive cues; her teacher or even the parents should always reward her when she behaves well. Secondly is practice, practice, and practice methods. This involves the teacher teaching a child behavioral skills and letting them repeat until they adapt. The third method is achieved by sharing simple scenarios that the child best understands when training them on behavioral skills (Shelton, 2016). There are several strategies outlined for addressing behavioral issues. Among them include visual bracelets, boards, and touch schedules. These strategies mainly work to help the child, in this case, Molly, adapt to normal occurrences in a learning environment. The child’s environment can also be modified to a child-friendly environment. This can be done by attaching drawings on the walls and decorations with limited destructions. Additionally, it would also be important to provide Molly with positive reinforcement for appropriate behaviors and to use positive behavior support strategies, such as setting clear expectations, providing choices and opportunities for self-regulation, and using positive reinforcement to encourage desired behaviors (Hyman et al., 2020). If needed, involving a behavioral therapist would also be relevant in this case.

Social and Emotional Skills

To address Molly’s social and emotional skills, it would be helpful to provide her with opportunities to engage in social interactions with her peers and teachers in a supportive and structured manner. This could include social skills groups or structured play activities that provide opportunities for her to practice initiating and responding to social interactions (Hyman et al., 2020). The teachers may help address social issues by role-playing social situations, showing the children the importance of turn-taking during a conversation, showcasing ways of managing feelings, and teaching them how to show respect to their elders and peers (Shelton, 2016). Given that children with ASD often have issues with communication, this would be done through games. It may also be helpful to provide Molly with social stories or scripts that outline appropriate social behaviors and examples of how to respond in different social situations. This would not only address the social issues but also improve the communication skills of children with ASD.

Cognitive Skills

Generally, Molly’s cognitive skills would be addressed by providing her with activities and materials that are developmentally appropriate and engaging for her. This could include age-appropriate puzzles, matching games, and other activities that require problem-solving and critical-thinking skills. Other methods that would improve cognitive functions include the use of visual supports, such as picture or symbol cards, to help her understand and follow directions. According to Shelton (2016), the strategies that can help improve the cognitive functions of children with ASD include the wh-sort strategy, guess what strategy, sound charades, and the reading running strategies. The wh- sort and guess what strategies help the children think deeply before answering questions that involve what, when, where, why, and how. The sound charades help the children match words to their sounds and do a proper reading.

Sensory-Motor Skills

The best approach to improve Molly’s sensory and motor skills would be to provide her with opportunities to engage in activities that allow her to use and develop her gross and fine motor skills. This could include activities such as painting, playdough, or other hands-on crafts, as well as gross motor activities such as climbing, running, and jumping (Liu, Kaarengala & Litchke, 2019). The teachers should start by showing the children how to hold a pen, how to position a paper, and how to form letters in early childhood education. Some children have been shown to improve over time after consistent training. In class, the strategies that would be applied to help Molly improve her motor and sensory skills include listening strategies, quickdraws, and ice-breaking games, among others.

Conclusion

In sum, ASD is a multifactorial disorder and, therefore, requires a multifactorial approach while addressing the issues of concern. For Molly, it would be crucial to integrate both classroom training and home-based training on social, behavioral, cognitive, and sensory-motor skills. The strategies outlined in the paragraph above would be crucial when applied to Molly’s case. In addition to the strategies, certain environmental modifications should be carried out for effective changes to be made.

References

Hyman, S. L., Levy, S. E., Myers, S. M., Kuo, D. Z., Apkon, S., Davidson, L. F., & Bridgemohan, C. (2020). Identification, evaluation, and management of children with an autism spectrum disorder. Pediatrics, 145(1). https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2019-3447

Liu, T., Kaarengala, V., & Litchke, L. G. (2019). Motor competence and social function in children with an autism spectrum disorder. https://digital.library.txstate.edu/handle/10877/13051

Sauer, A. K., Stanton, J., Hans, S., & Grabrucker, A. (2021). Autism spectrum disorders: etiology and pathology. Exon Publications, 1-15. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0005-4810

Shelton, T. (2016). Practical strategies for supporting young learners with an autism spectrum disorder. Gryphon House, Inc.

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ASSIGNMENT 340.
ASD Case Study: Molly (Behavior, Social, Cognitive, and Sensory-Motor Skills)

Purpose:

The development of behavior skills, social skills, cognitive skills, and sensory-motor skills are important pieces of a typical early childhood environment. Encouraging the growth of these necessary skills in our young children with ASD is an important step in their development.

ASD Case Study- Molly

Scenario: ASD Case Study: Molly

Molly is a 4-year-old preschool child with ASD and significant expressive and receptive language deficits. She seldom uses her language spontaneously to communicate with peers and teachers. She has a difficult time following directions and transitioning from one activity to the next. Molly is very fearful of social situations and often avoids social interactions. Molly spends the vast majority of her time on the playground alone, with little peer interaction. Molly engages in stereotypical behaviors such as hand flapping, vocalizations, and eye gazing. She has been noted to slap herself in the head and has recently begun slapping parents and teachers. Molly is noted to have a short attention span, poor motor coordination, difficulty tying her shoes and managing snaps and buttons, and sensory-seeking needs.

Assignment Directions

Based on the above case study of Molly, you will write a 2–3-page informative essay that analyzes how Molly’s behavior, social skills, cognitive skills, and sensory-motor skills can be addressed. This essay should include specific examples of strategies and environmental supports that would be beneficial for Molly, given her identified individual needs. Be sure to address all four areas of need (behavior, social, cognitive, sensory-motor).

Introduction

Briefly summarize the case study and identify how this paper will help address Molly’s needs in behavior, social/emotional, cognitive, and sensory-motor skills.
Behavior Skills

Analyze how Molly’s behavioral skills can be addressed in the typical early childhood environment.
Include specific examples of strategies and environmental supports that would be beneficial for Molly given her identified individual needs.
Social/Emotional Skills

Analyze how Molly’s social/emotional skills can be addressed in the typical early childhood environment.
Include specific examples of strategies and environmental supports that would be beneficial for Molly given her identified individual needs.
Cognitive Skills

Analyze how Molly’s cognitive skills can be addressed in the typical early childhood environment.
Include specific examples of strategies and environmental supports that would be beneficial for Molly given her identified individual needs.
Sensory-Motor Skills

Analyze how Molly’s sensory-motor skills can be addressed in the typical early childhood environment.
Include specific examples of strategies and environmental supports that would be beneficial for Molly given her identified individual needs.
Conclusion

Link the strategies and supports you have provided above to illustrate the characteristics of the recommended learning environment for Molly.
Assignment Guidelines

Your assignment should include the following elements:

Title page: Provide your name, section number, and date.
Body: In 2 to 3 pages, answer all the questions in complete sentences and paragraphs.
Your responses should reflect professional writing standards using proper tone and language and be free of spelling and grammatical errors. The writing and writing style should be correct and accurate and reflect knowledge of early childhood education theories and practices.
Reference page: Sources in APA format
Please include at least two different references in your responses.
Your full references should be listed alphabetically on the reference page.
Use Arial or Times New Roman 12-point font, double-spaced and left-aligned.
Use standard 1″ margins on all sides.
Use current APA formatting and citation style throughout your paper.