Which important components of an ASD assessment were included?
The following are specific parts of Asperger syndrome diagnoses that were included in the diagnoses report. The first component of the diagnoses related to the family, where the report sought information on the child’s family background. The report found out that the child comes from a family with father and mother. The diagnoses report also reviewed the child’s schooling information where he attends a special school. The child has special liking for school, is interested in mathematics and sciences but not writing.
The report indicated that the child has coherent communication although the communication is poor in conversation or reciprocal conversations. The child however has a good understanding of grammar in terms of construction and completion of sentences. The child displays little or no emotions in conversations and struggles to listen. The child first speaks for long before becoming completely silent. The child talks without taking into consideration whether the other person is listening. The communication assessment report recommends that the child needs alternative communication model to engage in a conversation (Matson, 2008).
The report also looks into the social competence of the child and the behavior. The report found that the child is restless in such settings and may not even pay attention to a conversation. The child is poor in perceptive talking as he talks without consideration of other person’s behavior or feelings. The report analyzed the child’s preferences especially in schools where the child is highly interested in science and mathematics but not writing.
Which important components of an ASD assessment were not included be specific?
There were important components of the ASD assessments that were not included in this report. The first component is the assessment of the child’s neuro cognition. This assessment helps the physician to identify the mental capacity of the child especially in matters that need memory. The neuro cognition tests the planning and organization skills of the child to determine whether the child has Asperger’s syndrome.
The second component of Asperger diagnoses left out is the emotional regulation skill that includes the child’s emotional awareness. The test on emotional awareness looks into the child’s mood stability under different emotional settings. It also looks into the child’s coping skills by fitting in different moods and emotions. This assessment report did not look into this aspect of the child (Matson, 2008).
The third component left out by this report is the adaptive or functional skills, which are critical in the mental development of every child. This adaptive skill investigates the activities or games that the child engages when bored. Though the report indicates that the child has high level of distractibility, the report does not disclose non-academic activities that the child engages in. The fourth aspect left out in this report is the child’s sexual awareness. The report does not assess the childs sexual awareness or any sexual emotion.
For the components that were not included in this report, recommend assessment tools and methods that could be used
The following are some of the recommended assessment tools for the missing components. The first tool is the Gillberg Test that measures a number of components in the Asperger diagnoses including the special interests of the child. Unlike the previous assessment tools that assess the academic strengths of the child, this tool tests the child interests outside classroom. This tool also assesses the child’s relational capabilities even with members of the opposite sex.
The other test tool for assessment is the DSM-MD or the Diagnostics Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. This tool assesses the repetitive behavior of the child. It assesses the emotional reactions of the child under different environment. It assesses the factors that trigger the child’s emotions such as happiness, anger, or boredom. This tool will be appropriate in the diagnoses of the child.
Based on the information you read in the report, do you feel as if you have a good overall sense of this child’s unique strengths, deficits, and needs.
From the information on the report, there are areas where one comprehends the child’s capability such as academic reports. The report shows that one can deduce that the child is good in mathematics and science subjects. One can also deduce that the child is unable to write or express his emotions. Overall, some of the evident strengths are that the child has good cognitive skills but poor conversational and emotional awareness.
Was this a well-written report? Briefly describe its strengths and weaknesses
This was a well-written report because it was assessing a child who cannot express some of the emotions or aspects fully such as sexual awareness and social interaction skills. The report was strong in communication skills assessment as well as assessing the child’s sensory capabilities. It was weak in assessing the child’s strengths outside classroom where most of social interactions take place.
What is the diagnosis you think would be most appropriate for this child? Be sure to explain how you came to this conclusion
The best diagnoses that will be most appropriate for this child is the VABS that assess the child’s daily living skills, social skills, and adaptive skills. This is because Asperger affects social interactions, which make it hard for the child with this disability to relate with others. When combined with the Gillberg Diagnoses Test, which measures the child’s interests, activities, and their effect on the child’s emotions, it is possible to diagnose the child problems and recommend appropriate treatment therapies (Matson, 2008).
References
Matson, J. (Ed.). (2008). Clinical assessment and intervention for autism spectrum disorders. London: Academic Press.