Scenario C: Autism
History:
Tommy is a 5-year-old boy with autism. He has difficulty communicating with his peers and
frequently fails to respond when people speak to him. Tommy never initiates conversations
and rarely makes eye contact with other individuals. Periodically, Tommy becomes upset
and loses his temper throughout the school day. Tommy is not the only person with autism
in his family. His older brother, Matthew age 9, exhibits some signs of autism, including
certain repetitive behaviors, difficulty with social skills, and behavioral problems. Despite
these barriers, Mathew has been successfully integrated into a general education
classroom.
Tommy was placed in a special education class at Springfield Elementary School located in
Sugarland Texas at the beginning of September. Mrs. Penny, Tommy’s teacher, has been
unable to find effective teaching strategies to work with Tommy. He rarely listens to Mrs.
Penny and has difficulty interacting with the six other students in his class. At home, Mr.
and Mrs. Johnson have noticed that Tommy loses his temper more frequently since their
move to Springfield last year. They have learned that the methods that helped Matthew
change his behavior do not seem to be effective with Tommy. The parents present at the
Harris County Psychiatric Clinic. They are very frustrated and are asking for help. They are
fearful that Tommy is going to be kicked out of school. This has caused marital problems
between the parents and the father admits he can no longer handle the situation and
moved out two weeks ago. The mother has started drinking alcohol again after being sober
for 10 years. They do not have any family in Texas.