Autism is a developmental disorder, as can be seen in the fact that Peter was first diagnosed when he failed to develop speech at the rate of a normal child. Autism is also a spectrum disorder, meaning that individuals will manifest the condition in different ways and different aspects of normal speech, movement, and social interactions may be inhibited depending on the child and the condition's severity. There is no 'cure' for autism or universally-accepted treatment for the disorder although behavioral interventions such as ABA "encourages positive behaviors and discourages negative behaviors in order to improve a variety of skills" through methods such as "Discrete Trial Training (DTT) DTT is a style of teaching that uses a series of trials to teach each step of a desired behavior or response. Lessons are broken down into their simplest parts and positive reinforcement is used to reward correct answers and behaviors." (Treatment, 2013, Autism: CDC). Although some parents use nutritional interventions such as a gluten-free diet, the science on this does not suggest that it produces improvements.
Case Study -- Major Depression -- Single Episode
Although the use of psychotropic drugs such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) is somewhat controversial in cases of minor depression, in cases of major depression, most empirical evidence suggests that they can be extremely helpful to patients. To treat Jill, an SSRI would...
However, conventional 'talk' therapy can also be offered, specifically to help Jill deal with the losses of her loved ones. Anxiety disorder may be co-morbid with Jill's major depression. One form of talk therapy that might be particularly helpful in dealing with Jill's perfectionism is cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). "CBT helps people with depression restructure negative thought patterns. Doing so helps people interpret their environment and interactions with others in a positive and realistic way" (Depression, 2013, NIMH).
Case Study -- Substance Abuse AND Eating Disorder Diagnosis
Britni's BMI and her use of amphetamines are linked to her anorexia, characterized by a refusal to maintain a normal, healthy BMI. There are few treatments for EDs that are considered extremely effective and some, such as the Maudsley approach, in which parents eat with the patient and make food non-negotiable, would not be suitable for someone who is an adult in college. Instead, CBT, along with monitoring Britni for any dangerous physical complications which could be the result of her ED, would be warranted. "The eating disorders provide one of the strongest indications for cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)...the core psychopathology of eating disorders, the overevaluation of shape and weight, is cognitive in nature"(Murphy et al.…
