Case Study: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for an Autistic Child



Case Study: Cognitive Behavioral Family Therapy for an Autistic Child

Introduction

Autism Spectrum Disorders affect the cognitive & social behaviors of an individual. Children, having Autism Spectrum Disorder, have increased levels of anxiety (Moree & Davis, 2010). There can be number of sources of anxiety including family & friends. Around 40% to 50% of the autistic population is affected by the anxiety. There are a number of interventions for assisting the affected individuals & families. Cognitive behavioral therapy is the principal psychosocial therapy. This case study highlights the outcomes of introducing CBT interventions in a family setting. CBT treats mood & anxiety disorders, specifically in growing children. The given case study illustrates the description of interventions & their effectiveness.

Case Description

Peter is the only child of Mr. & Mrs. John Marshall. The child is living in a metropolitan area. He has special interests in the video games. His mom reports that he tries to imitate the characters of the video games. In case of extreme distress, he tends to act more like the violent characters compared to the non-anxious conditions. Peter takes Ritalin during his school time; he takes the oral dosage twice in a day. Peter is marked low on the verbal reasoning skills. He has many other issues like concentration difficulties & aggression. Given the cognitive abilities, a group setting was not an ideal choice. He may not want to interact in a group, which would make him even more aggressive. Peter has mild intellectual impairments.

Traditional CBT has been enhanced by the use of visual aids, integration of focused interests (in this case it is the video games), and family involvement (Attwood, 2004). The integration of new elements improves the effectiveness of the behavioral interventions. More & Davis (2010) communicated that CBT has enormous potential for treating anxiety in autistic children & adolescents. Reaven et al (2011) conducted a study which demonstrated the efficacy of CBT program. The CBT program was created with the randomized controlled trial. The program was aimed at facilitating the children, having autism. The program was named “Facing your fears”. The research found that FYF produced better results compared to the group, which experienced usual treatments. The percentage outcome was huge; FYF protocol produced 50% clinical positive responses from the autistic children. On contrary, the usual treatment produced only 9% positive clinical response.

Clinical Profile

ASD Diagnosis

Peter's mom communicated that he faces difficulties in coordinating with his peers. Also, he prefers routine tasks and repetition. Peter also has difficulty in understanding emotions & intentions. The biggest issue is associated to his communication abilities. Peter faces difficulty in communicating his interests verbally. Oftentimes, her mother does not understand his desires. Peter also has unusual eye contact; he does not like to remain seated.

Cognitive Functioning

Peter has low average scores in IQ scale. It is because he has a major strength in terms of visual reasoning. On the other hand, verbal communication is extremely ...