As you near the end of the course, you will get to apply all that you have learned to a practical application scenario! You will select from two case studies, one of a child experiencing symptoms of autism and the other experiencing symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Putting on the hat of a clinician, you will provide a written report of what you would say to the parents of this child, including symptoms, treatment options, and prognosis.

To prepare for this Assignment:

• Review information on disorders that begin in childhood.
• Read through and choose one of the two case studies to explore in your Assignment (autism or ADHD).
• Utilize at least one of the websites provided for support, depending on your chosen case.
• Utilize at least one peer-reviewed journal article to support your treatment recommendation.

The Assignment (2- to 3-page paper):

• Consider the following scenario, in which you presume the role of a clinician: You have recently met with Johnny and his family. Johnny is 7 years old and in the first grade. He has trouble sitting still, often loses things, will climb under and over the classroom desks, and will leap out of line in the hallways. He has an affinity for math, but he makes careless mistakes on previously mastered concepts. Other children in the classroom have complained about Johnny being too bossy or loud and tend to avoid sitting next to him or inviting him to play.
• Your evaluation has determined that Johnny meets the criteria for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Johnny’s parents are coming to your office tomorrow to discuss the results of your evaluation.
• Prepare a written report of what you will tell Johnny’s parents about attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Be sure to cover the symptoms that Johnny meets from the DSM-5 Checklist.
• Discuss symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in light of normal development in the following domains: language, cognition, emotion, and social. In other words, what is noticeably different in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder versus what you might see in their same-age peers? Speak briefly to the controversy regarding these differences.
• Summarize the research evidence on the effectiveness of different approaches to treatment, based on your textbook reading andat least onepeer-reviewed journal article. Include your final treatment recommendation to Johnny’s parents.
• Consider how you might answer if the parents ask, “How did our child end up with this disorder? What did we do wrong? Is there any hope for him?”
• To close your paper, based on what you have reviewed in your textbook as a whole regarding disorders in childhood, make a comment about how you could be an advocate for social change for children struggling with these disorders.

resources

• Comer, R. J. (2016).Fundamentals of abnormal psychology(8th ed.). New York, NY: Worth
  • Chapter 14, "Disorders Common Among Children and Adolescents"
  • Chapter 15, "Disorders of Aging and Cognition"
• Alzheimer’s Association. (2016). Retrieved fromhttp://www.alz.org/index.asp
• Autism Speaks. (2016). Retrieved from http://www.autismspeaks.org/
• Center for Autism and Related Disorders. (n.d.). Retrieved May 11, 2016, from http://www.centerforautism.com/
• Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD). (2016). Retrieved fromhttp://www.chadd.org
• National Institute of Mental Health. (2016). Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Retrieved fromhttp://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder-adhd/index.shtml

• Aquarius Health Care Media. (Producer). (2002).Straight talk about autism[Video file]. Retrieved fromhttp://search.alexanderstreet.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/ctiv/view/work/1779170
• Barkley, R. A. (Producer). (1994).ADHD in adults[Video file]. Retrieved fromhttp://search.alexanderstreet.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/ctiv/view/work/1779081
• King, W. (Producer). (2005).ADHD: What it is, what it isn’t[Video file]. Retrieved from  http://search.alexanderstreet.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/ctiv/view/work/1779118