Autism Spectrum Disorder Ben Johnson

Age --

Gender -- Male

Ben is currently being raised by a single mother who has two additional children. The mother has worked full time for a number of years while the biological father is absent and rarely offers support or sees his children. The mother currently reports high levels of stress that are in part due to Ben's ASD symptoms and his behavior at home. These symptoms include requiring considerable amounts of attention, difficulties with communication, mood swings and frequent outbursts, and trouble with school and homework.

Ben has had many problematic behaviors since birth including poor sleeping habits. Currently, Ben has entered the first grade and is experiencing tremendous difficulties in school which has prompted the school to moving Ben to an individualized educational program (IEP). Although there are many problematic behaviors that have been reported at school, the primary problem that the teacher reports are near constant disruptive behaviors that make it difficult for other students to study.

The current family dynamics include the fact that Ben has a heavy reliance on the mother to communicate and few others can understand Ben's language. Ben also requires constant attention from the mother which makes it difficult for her to care for Ben's siblings. Although Ben does not typically bother his brother and sister, his symptoms make it difficult to have a normal home environment.

Case Study - Detailed

Ben's mother works full-time in an administrative position in a local school and Ben's biological father lives in Texas with minimal involvement or contact. The mother has been fully employed for roughly a decade and the father works construction but has irregular periods of employment with long stretches of unemployed periods. This has made it difficult for him to make regular support payments which has also added stress to the family's finances. The family lives in an apartment and Ben has two other siblings -- one brother and one sister who are both older.
As an infant it was reported that Ben suffered from difficulties with sleep and would only sleep for two or three hours at a time. In regards to language and gross motor development, there are obvious signs that the child is behind developmentally. Ben has low motivation for any of his school work (1st grade), has disruptive social behaviors, and difficulty participating in a classroom environment. There are some distinct characteristics Ben displays that are considered to be potentially harmful such as being nervous and with repetitive habits, being fidgety and restless and has the occasional dramatic mood swings. Severe mood dysregulation and problems (SMP) in otherwise typically developing youth are recognized as an important mental health problem with a distinct…