Case Study: Tracey

Tracey is a twenty-one-year-old student diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Tracey can have difficulties with transitions and requires that her routine is predictable.

Tracey is a friendly young lady, but is frequently impulsive and this can result in grabbing and sometimes even pushing another peer.
Tracey's dream is to attend college and work in an office like her father does. She can read at about a second grade level. Tracey needs reminders to choose appropriate clothing and change her clothes on a regular basis. She is able to complete her daily living skills relatively independently and follows directions when they are paired with pictures to help her understand the steps in completing more complicated tasks. She would like to share an apartment with a school friend when she graduates.

Instruction

For each of the following, include potential supports her family may provide. Identify some of the concerns or challenges that might be expressed by community members. Identify the role of educators in assisting Tracey to meet her goals.

1. Your paper should include a description of goals in the following areas:
• Education/Training
• Employment
• Independent Living

2. Describe which of the supports she will need on a job and explain why:
• Clustered placement
• Individual Placement
• Sheltered Employment

3. Describe the Residential Alternative that you are recommending for her (from those listed below) and why:
• Apartment Living
• Foster Home
• Group Home

4. Complete the major components of a behavior assessment and intervention plan for one of Tracey's problem behaviors:
• Define the problem behavior.
• Identify the function of the problem behavior.
• Describe at least one intervention to reduce the instances of problem behavior.
• Identify one alternative behavior that Tracey will learn to replace the need to engage in the problem behavior.
• Describe how you will collect behavior data to determine the effectiveness of interventions.