Diagnosis and Treatment Plan for Michael\'s Condition

Diagnosis and Treatment Plan for Michael's Condition:

Michael is a 7-year-old child, who was referred by the Pediatrician for an analysis following his 2-year-old exam. In the beginning of Michael's development, his mother stated that she has seen similar delays to the doctor's observations and has similar concerns. One of the major concerns is that Michael will not respond to his name when called even if he is only a foot or less away and does not even turn his head towards the voice. Secondly, he has difficulties in following simple instructions, especially one step directions like come here, sit down, or pick up. In addition to failing to use words to say or request what he wants, Michael only repeats a word that is modeled every once in a while. Third, when playing around other children in the two groups, he does not even notice the other children, plays by himself, and does not really play. The other concerns in Michael's situation include difficulties in playing with toys, seem unable to make eye contact or imitate his mother, and tend to be more attached to some items that he is to his parents and other familiar people. As a result, Michael seems to be in his own world and does not want others to be in it with him. Therefore, he is probably suffering from a condition that needs proper diagnosis and effective treatment plan.

Diagnosis of Michael's Condition:

Based on the concerns raised by his mother and the doctor, Michael seems to be suffering from autism. Generally, children with autism have problems or difficulties in three major areas i.e. language, behavior, and social interaction ("Autism -- Symptoms," n.d.). However, since the symptoms and severity of the condition differ significantly, children with similar diagnosis may act quite differently and have strikingly different skills. In most instances, children with severe autism not only have marked impairments but also demonstrate a complete inability to interact or communicate with other people.

The symptoms of this condition are usually identified by parents and other caregivers with the child's first three years. However, signs associated with autism are difficult to notice and diagnose during infancy though the condition is present at birth (congenital). Some of the early signs of this condition in babies and toddlers include failure to make eye contact, smile when smiled at, respond to his/her name or sound of a familiar voice, use gestures to communicate, and play with other individuals or share interest and enjoyment (Smith, Segal & Hutman, 2013). Michael seems to be suffering from Autism because he has displayed all these difficulties language, social skills, and behavior. Under social skills, Michael fails to respond to his/her name, has poor eye contact, seems to prefer playing alone, and seems to be unaware of others' feelings. Under language, Michael doesn't seem to understand simple directions/instructions, does not repeat modeled words consistently, and doesn't speak. Under behavior, Michael carries out repeated movements, develops particular routines and throws tantrums at the slightest change, and prefers playing alone.

Treatment or Intervention Plan:

Even though autism is a very serious condition that can significantly affect a child's growth and development, early and intensive treatment of the condition can help improve his/her ability to communicate, relate to others, and help himself/herself as he/she grows older ("Autism-Symptoms," 2010). The most appropriate treatment or intervention plan begins with early detection of the condition by parents. Parents are in the most appropriate position to detect the earliest warning signs of autism since they know their child or children better than anyone. A parent should detect these early signs through observing the child's behaviors. During this process, the parent should monitor the development of the child and take action immediately by sharing concerns with a pediatrician.

The parent's report of his/her concerns should be followed by a comprehensive intervention plan beginning with planning an autism screening. Currently, these are various specialized screening tools that have been developed to identify children with the condition. Notably, most the autism screening tools are fast and straightforward since they consists a checklist of symptoms or yes-or-no questions. The parent should also provide his/her feedback to the pediatrician regarding the child's behavior. This will be followed by consulting a developmental specialist, especially after the pediatrician detects probable signs of the condition during screening. The child should be referred to a developmental specialist for comprehensive diagnostic evaluation because screening tools cannot be used to make a diagnosis. The developmental specialist will conduct several assessments to determine whether or not the child suffers from the condition.

The final step in the treatment plan is to seek early intervention services given that the diagnostic process for the condition is tricky and can take awhile sometimes. The most appropriate intervention measure is function-based treatment approach that involves getting rid of the problem behavior and substituting it with more suitable behaviors that serve the same purpose (Schrader, n.d.). In this case, Differential Reinforcement of Alternative Behaviors (DRA) will be used to extinct problem behavior and reinforce alternative behavior.