Case Study - Tom
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Tom* is a 6 year old boy who was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder just before his third birthday. Tom is in PREP and attends a metropolitan state school that has a Special Education Unit there that Tom visits regularly during the week. Being a PREP class, there is a teacher aide present for most of the day.
Tom is well liked and most of his peers are patient and accepting of him and his differences. Tom is quiet and is often overwhelmed by social situations and noisy, busy environments that usually result in meltdowns and behavioural problems. Tom has difficulty maintaining social interactions and engaging in age appropriate play with his peers and siblings.
Tom makes genuine attempts to initiate conversations in a one-on-one context, however rarely makes eye contact. He struggles reading other people’s feelings, understanding social situations and working in small groups. Tom works best with teacher support or with a partner.
Tom does not have appropriate regulation strategies and experiences anxiety frequently. He exhibits this outwardly by seeking reassurance, stimming, obsessive behaviours, meltdowns, avoidance or withdrawal, agitation or aggression and hand biting. Tom is neat and likes order in his personal space; however, he does not like change in his routine or the environment, lack of structure, increased sensory input, and unfamiliar social situations. This often can lead to increased anxiety levels and meltdowns. Tom will often scream when the school bell rings, or when the noise escalates in the classroom.
Tom is a genuinely kind-hearted and capable boy who requires appropriate interventions and strategies to support him to develop holistically and to acquire everyday skills.
The following three issues have been identified as areas of need that would benefit from educational interventions and strategies
- Issue One - Tom experiences a high level of anxiety triggered by a variety of factors.
- Issue Two - Tom has social blindness. He lacks the social skills that are needed to connect with other people and to build and maintain friendships.
- Issue 3 - Tom has a hypersensitivity to sound that causes him distress, anxiety and can trigger undesirable behaviours.
*Name is a pseudonym for privacy reasons.
Personal image used.