Complex Needs Case Study: Supporting Individuals with Autism

A case study of Jack, a young man with autism, and his complex support needs. Learn about SMART goals and recommendations for implementation to improve communication and social skills.

Running Head: COMPLEX NEEDS CASE STUDY
COMPLEX NEEDS CASE STUDY
Name of Student
Institution Affiliation

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COMPLEX NEEDS CASE STUDY
Introduction
This report aims to discuss individuals with complex support needs on a person living
with autism. The case study will focus on a client called Jack (not his real name). Jack was born
with autism, a mental condition, which was present from his early childhood. This condition
characterises great difficulty in communicating and forming relationships with others as well as
in using language and abstract concepts. The study will evaluate the complex support needs of
the client living with complex conditions. The report will then focus on the development goals
needed for complex needs clients as well as what individuals should consider when handling
individuals with complex needs.
Background Information
Jack is a nineteen-year-old ninth-grade young man. Jack is, fundamentally, a very jovial
and delightful person. He maintains a tremendous ability to appreciate humor and he is pleasant
when socializing with others. Jack adapted exceptionally well to his first year of higher
education. Jack is a scholar of the resource room, where he attends one lesson on school days. He
visits other classes which incorporate, choir, resource science, reading, gymnastics, mathematics
as well as social studies. Though his reading lesson provides for learners who have challenges in
the text, it doesn't classify as a form of learning offered to students with exceptional needs; his
resources science lesson, nonetheless, is mainly for students with extraordinary needs. Jack had a
fulltime basis paraprofessional in every part of his school life, a distinct person for preparatory,
middle school and currently in the high education level. The paraprofessional gives Jack's most
assistance, and he is tremendously reliant on him. Jack's family incorporates a father who works
in the military, a mother who is a housewife but practices gardening and a brother who is in the
second year of his university level. Jack enjoys all the support from the entire members of the
family (De Rubeis, He, Goldberg, Poultney, Samocha, Cicek, & Singh, 2014, p.209).
The family members are down to earth on Jack's potentials but even now anticipate for
high performance from him. In return, Jack gives the impression to keep a perfect connection
with the family members. Jack's mother appears the most concerned in his learning, even though
both parents take part in the parent-teacher seminars, Individualized Education meetings (IEP), a

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document developed for each public school child who needs special education. Jack's brother is
too much concerned with his wellbeing. Jack and his brother attend the church meetings as well
as the youth group meetings and hangout most time at home and their compound together. Jack
loves the company offered by his family members since they are always available for him when
he needs them. Jack aspires to perform in his learning. He is a stickler for perfection and
anticipates completing extraordinarily in his education. Jack speaks little about himself to others
unless when probed. He talks on how great he would like to achieve in life and act as a role
model. Jack has high expectations despite his condition (De Rubeis, 2014, p.214)
Complex Support Needs
Jack is experiencing autism which is developmental disorganisation caused by problems
with social interaction as well as communication and by limited and monotonous behaviour. His
parents realised the conditions' signs in the first two years of his life after birth. The signs
developed gradually after his birth. Jack’s autism is suspected to have occurred from the effect of
hazardous chemicals in the surrounding of her mother during the prenatal period. The parents
believe that the chemicals did much damage to Jack's neuron development. The parents believe
that mercury that exists in the sea fish or the cosmetics entered the mother's body. Research done
proves that mercury interferes with the functioning of the brain then hinders the growth of the
child’s brain (Daniels, & Mandell, 2014, p.583).
Doctors who are concerned with Jack autism regard that vaccines may cause autism since
mercury is a characteristic of vaccines, while it is not scientifically proven. Several clinical
officers claim that if a child was unwell or had a mitochondrial imperfection; vaccination for
infants can be the environmental factor. The other possible suspected factor is that a bacterium
called Helicobacter pylori went to the gut by drinking water that was unhygienic. Unclean water
is capable of causing the critical impacts on the creation of chemicals in the brain. The logic is
that the brain, as well as the immune structure and the gut, connect in a narrowly enclosed way
and they function simultaneously with each other (Kenny, Hattersley, Molins, Buckley, Povey,
& Pellicano, 2016, p.220).

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The brain plays an essential role as an organ in communication. Thus researchers
credence to that the causes of autism have a link with communication among brain cells. Doctors
identify 20 genes which appear to connect with autism. Each gene connects one to two per cent
of all autism reports. Researchers believe that specific parts of the brain which exist at the back
of the forehead and a tiny structure which almost two inches inside the infant’s ear known as
amygdale rapidly develop in the client and appears significant as compared to healthy children.
The Vanderbilt Center, a centre for Human Genetics survey, indicates that the relation amidst
autism and genes like CDH9 as well as CDH10 which are essential connect the brain cells
(Grynszpan, Weiss, Perez-Diaz, & Gal, 2014, p.342).
Jack socially interacts with the family at home and friends at school. Jack is shy and
doesn’t look directly in strangers eyes. He may sometimes misbehave by hitting others without
any proper reason. Jack talks with wrong grammar without organization. Pronunciation
difficulties happen when he tries to talk compound words.
Furthermore, Jack doesn't know to communicate with others or may fail to comprehend
the meaning of words. Jack's parents bring him teddy bears and toys which he likes playing. Jack
watches cartoon programs which Jack loves. He likes watching a specific cartoon repeatedly and
doesn't find it annoying at any time (Case-Smith, Weaver, & Fristad, 2015, p.136).
SMART Goals
Specific: Jack is not able to speak fluently and mention compound words in a way that
others can understand. He may utter words that do not make complete meanings. That is an area
of concern for poor Jack. Difficulty in speaking makes it difficult for him, and he may find out
that people tend to ignore him at times. Ignoring Jack doesn't please him, and the family
members feel that this may affect the way he socialises with others. Some people might ignore
him due to this condition, and it pisses him off. He may get annoyed and hit anyone for no
proper reason. Beating others is a way of him showing that he is annoyed by something. When
someone cracks a joke on his mode of speaking, he gets angry and may cry. His way of speaking
makes it difficult for people to comprehend what he may try to say. It is difficult for Jack to
communicate his basic wants and needs to teachers and classmates. Violence affects his rate of

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maintaining relationships between him and others. In spontaneous speech, Jack fails to
incorporate grammatical markers in his speaking. His utterances may appear telegraphic which
makes it much difficult for individuals to understand him (Pellicano, Dinsmore, & Charman,
2014, p.231).
Measurable: Jack’s teachers and caregivers need to measure and demonstrate his
progress. Goals and objectives for Jack require including process is necessary for success to
determine whether Jack achieves them. The goals need to reflect what Jack is likely to
accomplish within a few solid months. The suggested target needs to mirror Jack's much long-
term priorities. The caregivers should concentrate on the steps that lead to long-term interests to
attain a result that is achievable within the indicated period. Considering the fundamental
behaviour will assist the caregivers to establish a process that Jack can achieve within the set
timeframe. A timeframe for the goals need setting to ensure that Jack develops a better way of
communicating with others. The progress needs indication so as those responsible may note what
is capable of being achieved and what needs more efforts to succeed. Jack should practice the
required skills for a specified amount in a day. A register should exist where those involved in
Jacks SMART objectives record achievements. The entry will store data of what the measurable
goals are as well as what needs to be done to achieve them (Croen, Zerbo, Qian, Massolo, Rich,
Sidney, & Kripke, 2015, p.321).
Attainable: Jack's SMART goals should indicate those that he can achieve in the
specified time. Jack needs to learn how to pronounce words better. He needs to understand what
instruction directs to him and make his utterances comprehensive. Jack requires to establish a
good relationship between him and his peers. The people whom he associates with should
encourage him to attain the set objectives in his actual plan. Jack requires achieving in uttering
compound words. He should identify grammatical markers to make his speech fluent whenever
he communicates with others. He should learn to mention compound words with ease. This will
make him more understandable when pronouncing words to his peers. He should develop
courage when facing people and stop being shy when discussing issues with strangers or peers.
Jack should learn that hitting people is wrong when provoked. He should learn to handle
situations no matter how difficult it may seem. Jack needs to learn how to make and maintain
friends by treating them in a caring way. He should accept his condition and appreciate who he

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is. Acknowledging himself will make him stop getting annoyed whenever anyone wrongs him
(Mazurek, 2014, p.107).
Relevant: Jack needs to attain goals that are within the context of the daily set routines as
well as activities that will enable him to achieve the targeted areas. The SMART goals and
objectives need to establish essential and crucial skills. The critical skills are skills that Jack can
learn during the period within the context of the daily procedure. Jack's learning to pronounce
compound words to express his needs is a sample of an essential skill that Jack can make use of
throughout the day with the several people to create a better understanding with his peers. By
incorporating the objectives, all those concerned in Jack's SMART goals will gain conscious of
some of the contexts where they can evaluate the results. The goals set to assist Jack should be
those that will support him achieve in his autism condition. The goals should consider those
requirements that are within what needs achievement in the course of plan development. The
purpose of essential goals is to ensure that Jacks is more independent in his life and that the peers
and those involved in his daily life can meet his needs in detail (McStay, Dissanayake,
Scheeren, Koot, & Begeer, 2014, p.123).
Timely: People connected to Jack need to indicate his goals and objectives directly in
acknowledgement to interests as well as relations of those who are concerned with his wellbeing
other than about examination and assessment of outcomes. The goals and objectives need to be
specific measurable and attainable at the indicated time. The estimates should note what amount
of time each priority takes. The priorities need to maintain the scheduled time to allow for proper
demonstration as well as enough time to show the production of the implemented efforts. Goals,
as well as objectives, need to reflect the target of the START goals when the teams involved in
the performance delivery records them as a reply to the targeted outcomes. The timely goals will
enable Jack to perfect in whatever he is supposed to accomplish in time. Managing time will
allow him to deliver the purpose of each activity which will, in turn, improve his response
towards the autism condition. Though the situation, he will achieve things positively and
establish a strong relationship with his peers as well as those involved in the process of making
him a better person (Weiner, Wigdor, Ripke, Walters, Kosmicki, Grove, & Werge, 2017, p.342).
Recommendations for Implementation-Action Steps

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Autism is a long-term condition and the vision of finding treatment contended as an issue
for various people in the autism scope as well as their relatives though there exist several
approximations and modes of assistance which could help Jack who is living with autism to
control their condition and accomplish their abilities. It is challenging to agree on what
approximation is necessary for Jack while there are many things we may not be sure on the
success of each method since only a few techniques privately and scientifically evaluated. Many
times confident and courageous demands are made on therapies as well as actions taken to
improve autism with no any evidence giving moral support. This is careless and unsuitable while
we attempt to create the conscious to people on autism. It is essential that Jacks parents, as well
as Jack and people on the autism scope, can get dependent information and offer advice both
after diagnosis and on a daily basis. Jack would benefit from individual assistance and any
actions taken to improve his condition are suited to their particular needs (Kenny et al., 2016.
P.42)
Some communication-related methods would be used to help Jack's autism condition.
These include; behavioural and educational embankments implemented to assist individuals with
autism to achieve their abilities (Kenny et al., 2016, p.43).
Applied behaviour analysis is a therapy that would assist in the treatment of Jack. It is a
hugely systemic, scientific perspective that would teach-play, methods of passing
communication, self-responsibility, and educational as well as social living expertise. It would
reduce questionable characters. Research shows that it would produce results for Jack if he
engaged in this. The applied behavioural analysis incorporates skilled personnel to break don
expertise into constituent sections and by repetition, support as well as inspiration it would help
Jack learn them. With ABA the psychotherapist would observe Jack's abilities and determine
what would be beneficial to him, all the greater when Jack doesn't seem interested in adopting
specific skills. ABA would benefit Jack more if he was referred to the expert recommended time
of 40 hours in a week. Jack could engage in the therapy frequently on a full-time basis in the
classroom-based learning. If Jack's skills improved and he made his relationship better ABA
would still play an essential role for him (McStay et al., 2014, p.45).

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Verbal behaviour therapy would assist Jack to communicate with his peers and
everyone involved in his life purposefully. Jack would learn how to utter words in a better way.
He would speak words that would be understood and perfect the way in which he related to
people. He would tell people about what he needs since Jack would make differences between
things as well as get help whenever he needed ((McStay et al., 2014, p.79).
Cognitive behavioural therapy would help Jack to recognise what causes specific
characters by himself. A psychotherapist would initiate experimental rejoinders. Jack would
develop the ability to realise when they almost engage a recurring role or a mental attitude and
learn to do new things that he discovered in the process. The cognitive behaviour therapy would
assist Jack with a cause to worry usually with autism like developing fear or anxiety ((McStay et
al., 2014, p.82).
Developmental as well as self-difference relation a psychotherapist and Jacks parents
would engage Jack through the activities that he enjoys and finds interest doing them. It would
depend on Jack having the motivation to involve as well as socialise with other individuals. The
psychotherapist would respond to Jack's direction in the implementing of new lessons ((McStay
et al., 2014, p.89).
The relationship established action taken to improve autism is a family-focused
approximation in treating autism with a focus on determined emotional and social goals created
to develop reasonable relationships. Developed relationships incorporate the capability to
produce an emotional connection and share skills. The family would set goals to establish
experiences connected to the individual association, like the ability to understand and share the
feelings of another as well as an overall motivating force to associate with others. This therapy
would procedurally break its many goals that adults practice to cue development like maintaining
eye contact and responding correctly during communication ((Mazurek, 2014, p.66).
Treatment, as well as learning of autistic and connected communication disadvantaged
children, is a classroom centred program which would modify academic instruction and social
growth to Jack's strengths ((Mazurek, 2014, p.72).

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Social skills group would assist Jack to engage in practical language and control
challenges that he faces with his mates. Jack would find it more suitable socialising with
grownups than with his age group since he finds it difficult coping with them. In the social skills
groups, the leader would create a particular situation that imitates reality and directs Jack to
establish suitable behaviours. The set groups would usually make use of texts and pictures to
display interacting skills. Interacting scripts would provide Jack with a specific language to
control challenging environments (Weiner et al., 2017, p.76).

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Reference
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