Instruction
This week you read about the disorders typically first diagnoses in infancy, childhood, or adolescence. You read about the interrelatedness of the assessment, diagnosis, treatment plan, and interventions. You read about ethical considerations when working with minors. For this discussion, you have two scenarios – CHOOSE ONE TO RESPOND TO.
To prepare:
Review this week's readings.
Focus on the challenges of diagnosing a minor client.
Select one of the two scenarios to respond to.
Indicate the case you chose in the subject line of your main post.
Post by Day 4 your analysis of one of the scenarios presented below and respond to the questions that follow.
Jamel, a 10 year old fifth grader, was brought to the office by his parents. The parents brought numerous reports from Jamel’s school outlining a history of difficulties in the classroom. His teachers reported that his “approach to class work is very chaotic,” and he rarely could focus on one task for longer than two to three minutes. He is often looking in the hallway or out the window when he hears a noise. He regularly forgets his supplies for school. Jamel has successfully passed previous years but just barely. His school performance was getting worse each year. His parents are worried that he will be retained. When asked about behavior at home, his parents indicated that Jamel is a “typical boy” that he plays a lot of video games and outside with friends but that he is back and forth constantly. His mother said she had to “repeat instructions over and over” to get him to do anything around the house. She frequently yells to get his attention.
OR
Sharon, a 15-year-old girl, was brought to the office by her mother. Her mother explained that Sharon was suspended from school for assaulting a teacher and needed to see a counselor before she could return to class. The history reveals that this is Sharon's 10th school suspension during the past three years. She has previously been suspended for fighting, carrying a knife to school, smoking marijuana and stealing money from other students' lockers. When asked about her behavior at home, Sharon reports that her mother frequently “gets on my nerves” and, at those times, Sharon leaves the house for several days. The family history indicates that Sharon's father was incarcerated for auto theft and assault. Sharon's mother frequently leaves Sharon and her eight-year-old brother unsupervised overnight.
Indicate the case you chose in the subject line of your main post. In your post, outline your diagnostic impression of the client. How does the client meet the criteria for that diagnosis. What alternate diagnoses did you consider and rule out before arriving at this diagnosis? How would you approach treating the client in the case you chose? What involvement, if any, would family or other stakeholders play in the treatment of the client. In addition, what ethical concerns are presented in the scenarios? How do they relate to appropriate assessment, diagnosis, and treatment? Be sure to cite your points using the learning resources. You may also use other scholarly literature to support your discussion. Citations and references must be in APA format. See the grading rubric for more information.
Be sure to support your postings and responses with specific references from your readings and other relevant scholarly literature. Citations and references must be in APA format. See the grading rubric for more information.
Peer Response: In order to meet minimum requirements, respond to at least 2 peers with substantive responses and support these responses with references. Peer responses must occur on at least two separate days. See the grading rubric for more information.