medicine and health care provision
In the field of medicine and health care provision, conducting proper and well-informed diagnostics is very crucial in understanding any health or medical condition. This kind of approach allows medical practitioners to sufficiently understand what ails an individual and the appropriate treatment that can be prescribed for a particular healthcare condition. The same assertion holds when it comes to understanding Jackson’s diagnosis that claims he may have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and Asperger syndrome. However, following the medical symptoms of both ADHD and Asperger syndrome will help in knowing what little Jackson is suffering. Further, it will be the analysis of the symptoms of both Asperger syndrome and ADHD that will be compared with the symptoms Jackson is exhibiting to conclusive decide which medical condition he’s suffering.
Jackson Case Questions
Q1. Signs and Symptom of Asperger Syndrome in Children and Teenagers
Asperger syndrome in children more often result in poor social and communication skills, coupled with exceptional intelligence or functionality in specific fields. Some of the symptoms of this medical condition are usually categorized into social, cognitive, physical, and communication skills.
Socially many Asperger syndrome patients experience challenges in establishing and keeping friends as many find solitude more comfortable. Their inability to make and keep friends often leads to a lack of emotional reciprocity as they cannot be able to reciprocate humor or sarcasm from their peers (Storebø et al. 2019). Also, certain impaired social behaviors like complete lack of eye contact and even individual facial expression tend to be a self-centered conversation for those with few friends in common. Moreover, their social life balance usually gets worse as they grow older. They tend to engage in a long conversation that revolves around them and is often less concerned about others’ ideas.
- Violent or aggressive behavior
Research done by various clinical psychologist has suggested that people with AS are generally predisposed to acts of aggression and violent behaviors. Despite variation in the level of violence exhibited by patients of AS, various research indicates that AS individuals at times act erratically, especially when confronted. For instance, in the United States alone, a report on the state of crime in the majority of U.S states reported that many perpetrators of the crime or extremism were people with Asperger syndrome. However, further research needs to be done to shed more light on why some AS individuals tend to show no aggression or violent acts at all while others have predominantly high aggressive and violent habits.
- Communication Skills
Ironically individuals with Asperger syndrome often have little or no challenges in the progressive development of their language skills. Although a few abnormalities like a more “robotic” like kind of speech are universal, verbosity, and repetitive rhetoric are likely to manifest while talking. Another symptom under communication is the inability to use a language in social context and periodical high intonation during a conversation. Further, children with Asperger syndrome do have a highly sophisticated level of communication that is, at times, not coherent with the topic of discussion.
- Cognitive behaviors
Children with Asperger syndrome tend to show a high level of intelligence as compared to healthy children with no AS condition. Such individuals can understand complex and technical information that their peers find challenging to comprehend. Their ability to memorize and focus on specific tasks makes then excel exceptionally well in their academics. However, many find children with AS find it hard to work in groups due to their lack of social skills and ability to express reciprocity in their communication.
Symptoms of ADHD in Children and Teenagers
Many children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder have signs and symptoms that can be categorized as impulsiveness. They cannot control how they react to situations, hyperactivity, and sometimes cases of inattentiveness. In children and even teenagers, short attention span is often evident as they are easily distracted by small things. During school hours, children with ADHD are likely to appear forgetful and have little memory capability. Also, such children find it hard to stick to tasks given to them due to their incapability to follow through with instructions and execute organized work (Edition, 2013). Another symptom of ADHD, also known as attention deficit disorder (ADD), is impulsiveness or hyperactivity. Children with ADD often find it challenging to remain calm in one environment for a long time due to their low concentration. Additionally, they exhibit anxiety-related problems, also deviant behaviors commonly known as the oppositional defiant disorder (ODD).
Jackson’s Likely Medical Condition
From the symptoms of Asperger syndrome and ADHD discussed above, a comparative analysis can be made to Jackson’s symptoms to come up with an appropriate medical condition of Jackson. In the diagnosis of the boy specific symptoms like hyperactivity, excellent academic record in school, anxiety, and strict adherence to rules indicate that he is suffering from ADHD.
Q2. Recommended Diagnosis for Jackson
Some of Jackson’s diagnoses could be to assess the hyperactivity and inattentiveness when it comes to how the boy behaves. And from the example presented, Jackson often engages in acts to seek attention from other people, like self-imposing himself as the class monitor and pulling stands to attract his peers’ attention (Edition, 2013). Some of the diagnoses that could be prescribed to Jackson would include depression and anxiety diagnosis from a psychiatrist, psychologist, and pediatrician to monitor speech development. This particular diagnosis is essential because usually, children with ADHD condition tend to feel socially excluded that would lead to depression condition. Further, their lack of friends amidst their desire to belong to a particular group can lead them to feel depressed. When using the DSM-5 criteria to diagnose depression, specific parameters like the level of irritability in the child must be assessed. Since children with ADD tend to have a highly irritable mood. Also, anxiety diagnosis is essential to determine their balance between listening to friends, teachers, or those superior to them.
Q3. Treatment Plan and Intervention for Jackson’s ADHD Condition
Treatment plan or intervention for ADHD would be taking prescription medications such as Ritalin that is approved by the FDA. Some of these medications can help with depression, and even anxiety symptoms predominant in ADHD children. Other treatment plans would include cognitive therapy, where the boy would be taught how to control his hyperactivity and inattentiveness (Storebø et al. 2019). Additionally, introducing nutritional dietary and social therapy sessions by encouraging the boy to learn how to develop friendships will go a long way toward helping the boy recover.
Q4. Individuals to Be Included in the Treatment Plan
Some of the individuals involved in the treatment plan would consist of a psychologist who will continuously monitor the behavior change and emotional balance. Another person would be the parents since offering a conducive environment at home by parents for recuperating is key in the healing of the patient. Other vital persons would be psychiatrists and pediatricians who will monitor the boy’s mental health and what appropriate medication is necessary.
Q5. The Obstacle to Treatment Intervention
Some of the obstacles would include having to apply various methods or interventions to ensure progressive recovery as the medication alone cannot help the boy recover fully. Equally, the challenge of maintaining prescribe nutritional diets for ADHD patients can be very costly to the parents, especially those with little financial backing.
Q6. Suggestions on other family members
For any patient of ADHD to respond positively to the treatment, all hands must be on deck. This approach means that other family members must offer their undying support by creating a conducive and supportive environment for the patient to recuperate well. Otherwise, in an event the other family members aren’t included in the treatment plan, then the prescription for the Asperger syndrome individual and, in this case, Jackson will be futile.
Case #2 Child Case Questions
Question 1
Symptoms
The conceptualization case presented about Tatiana shows a typical example of Asperger syndrome symptoms. From the excessive aggression and compulsivity in behavior to varied mood and exceptional performance in schools. In the case, Tatiana’s mother affirms that despite her excellence in school and various fields she is involved in, her behavior at home is just non-compliance and exhibits oppositional kind of behavior. Her aggression and impulsive can be seen when told to do any chores in the house the way she turns very abusive and disrespectful to not only the mother but also her siblings. According to the DSM-5 criteria of diagnosis, Tatiana suffers from an imbalance of behavioral mannerism that is often associated with Asperger syndrome (Edition, 2013). Further, her history of development shows and an individual who has self-righteous mentality as reported by her mother, who claims Tatiana believes she is the only child or an individual who can get things done better.
Also, her social skills are not as excellent as the mother claims that she doesn’t have a good relationship with her sisters, who she finds annoying. Now when these diagnoses are carefully compared to the DSM-5 manual, Tatiana can be said conclusively to have an extreme version of Asperger syndrome. Also, Tatiana believes that she should be the one in charge and not anybody else, an indication of cognitive problems. Therefore the symptoms qualify Tatiana to be diagnosed with Asperger syndrome since ADHD’s symptoms are contradictory to the case scenario presented.
Q2. Appropriate Diagnosis
Some of the diagnoses that can be appropriate to Tatiana’s case include assessing social interaction skills. According to the DSM-5 manual, a child with Asperger syndrome will find it hard to create social networks. Another diagnosis would be to assess the motor skills and the kind of attitude they have towards change (Barahona & Filipe, 2016). From the symptoms presented in Tatiana’s case in tandem with the DSM-5 manual, individuals suffering from this AS condition usually have exceptional motor skills, just as in Tatiana. However, their attitude towards change is self-centered. Other diagnoses would be made to assess the child’s level of language prowess and cognitive skills.
Q3. Treatment Plan
Treatment plan and intervention for Jackson’s Asperger syndrome condition
Some of the treatment plans and interventions for the Jackson condition include; conducting social skills, exercise, or training. The girl is trained either one on one or in a group so that he can develop his social skills, which will improve his relationship with friends, teachers, siblings, and even parents.
Another treatment plan would be conducting therapy sessions on speech and language development. Where the girl will be able to learn how to control her verbosity and often high pitch conversation, further speech therapy will enable Jackson to start developing and nurturing a two-way communication rather than a self-centered conversation (Shumer et al. 2016). Following up with behavioral therapy, particularly in cognitive skills development, will enable the boy to control her emotions and, at times, flaring temper. This approach is inculcated by teaching the girl how to think critically and weigh the consequential effects of having a bad temper. Further, through cognitive therapy, she will also be able to learn how to avoid repetition in his communication.
Another treatment plan or intervention would be taking prescribed medication for Asperger syndrome approved by the FDA. Some of these medications can help with depression and even anxiety symptoms predominant in AS children.
Q4. Individual to Be Included In the Treatment Plan
Some of the individuals to be included in the treatment plan would consist of a psychologist who will continuously monitor the behavior change and emotional balance. Another person would be the parents since offering a conducive environment at home by parents for recuperating is key in the healing of the patient (Rueda, Fernández & Baron, 2015). Other vital persons would be psychiatrists and pediatricians who will monitor the girl’s mental health condition and what appropriate medication is necessary.
Q5. The Obstacle to Treatment Intervention
Some of the obstacles would include adequate financial resources since the boy will require constant monitoring by the specialist mentioned above. All these specialists charge a certain fee that might be expensive, depending on the recovering period.
Q6. Suggestions on Other Family Members
Handling children with Asperger syndrome usually is not easy and requires help from all family members. Therefore, all the family members should create a favorable environment that would enable the child to improve her cognitive behavior, social interaction, emotional balance, and practical communication skills.