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For this assignment, you need to write a case report responding to the referral question posed by the fictitious paediatrician ‘Dr Eliza Spence’ for the fictitious case of ‘Sam Brown’. You will find the following relevant materials on LMS:
• A copy of a letter from Dr Eliza Spence referring Sam Brown to the Early Assessment Clinic (EAC) for Autism Spectrum Disorders
o Including a completed SACS-R checklist
• Copies of the assessment protocols completed at the EAC appointments:
o Mullen Scales of Early Learning
o Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (Module 1) with notes and scores
o Autism Diagnostic Interview – Revised with notes and scores
Your task is to write a case report, taking the role of the ASD Assessment Specialist who has completed the assessments with Sam and his parents as part of his EAC appointments. You should review all of the above materials, interpret Sam’s scores on the various assessments, and arrive at an answer to Dr Spence’s referral question.
Report Guidelines
You should then write a case report following these guidelines:
Cover letter
• Not included in word count – but keep it short; 150 words max
• Address this to the referring practitioner
• Summarise contents of main report, giving a clear answer to the referral question
• Sign off (assuming you are the ASD assessment specialist)
Main Report (1000 words max)
• Clearly state the client’s name and date of birth
• Briefly outline the reason for the assessment and given an overview of the client’s current situation (i.e., main strengths/difficulties as noted by parents or observed during testing)
• Clearly present each assessment undertaken and it’s results:
o Give the full name for the measure
o Briefly explain what it was used for
o Describe the child’s performance on the test (i.e., what score/s did he get)
o Explain what this means (i.e., interpret the score/s)
• Finish with paragraph summarising the main assessment findings and clearly answering the referral question
You do not need to adhere to APA style (as is usually required for reports and essays in psychological science). Rather, this should be presented to look like a formal and professional document. Within this, you are free to create a letterhead, include addresses and use sections/headings as you feel would be appropriate. Any text in the letterhead,
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addresses etc., is not included in the word count. Your 1000-word count is for the main body of the report only.
The referring paediatrician will be very busy with a large caseload. She will want a clear answer to the question for which she has sought your opinion. So while you should give details about each assessment in the main report, to substantiate your conclusion, you should also present a clear and concise summary of your opinion that could be read and understood on its own.
Recommended Readings
Material relevant to this assessment will be covered during lectures on Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) in early life and across childhood (weeks 3 and 4). Tutors will also facilitate your understanding of the relevant tests and the scores they provide during tutorials in week 4 (tutorial 2). You may also like to consult/revisit the following:
Essential readings associated with lectures in weeks 3 and 4:
• Barbaro, J. & Dissanayake, C. (2010). Prospective identification of Autism Spectrum Disorders in infancy and toddlerhood using developmental surveillance: The Social Attention and Communication Study. Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Paediatrics, 31, 376-385.
• Zwaigenbaum, L., Bauman, M.L., Stone, W.L., Yirmiya, N., Estes, A., et al (2015). Early identification of Autism Spectrum Disorder: Recommendations for practice and research. Pediatrics, 136, S10-S40.
• Pellicano, E. (2010). Individual differences in executive function and central coherence predict developmental changes in Theory of Mind in autism. Developmental Psychology, 46, 530-544.
• Young, R. (2013). The Diagnostic Process. In B. O’Reilly & K. Wicks (Eds.). The Australian Autism Handbook (pp. 18-34). Edgecliff, NSW: Jane Curry Publishing.
Additional resources:
• Barbaro, J. & Dissanayake, C. (2013). Early markers of autism spectrum disorders in infants and toddlers prospectively identified in the Social Attention and Communication Study. Autism, 17, 64-86.
• Barbaro, J. & Dissanayake, C. (2009). Autism Spectrum Disorders in infancy and toddlerhood: A review of the evidence on early signs, early identification, and early diagnosis. Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Paediatrics, 30, 447-459.
• Find out more about the assessment tools by reading what is said about them on the publisher’s website. This is Western Psychological Services (WPS) in the United States but local distributors (e.g., Psychological Assessments Australia [PAA], Australian Council for Educational Research [ACER]) will also have information on their websites.
• You are reminded also of academic honesty. All students will have completed the Academic Integrity Module (AIM) to help you to understand the concepts of Plagiarism (failure to acknowledge or ideas that are not your own) and Collusion (copying and submitted someone else’s work as your own). You must also read the relevant section in the School of Psychological Science Undergraduate Student Handbook which is on the LMS.
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Marking Rubric for PSY3ASD Case Study Report
Quantitative Literacy (40%)
1. Appropriate personal data have been identified and are included in the report (i.e., names, ages, personal relationships of key individuals)
2. Appropriate test data have been identified for inclusion in the report
3. The data are appropriately presented:
a. The assessment findings are clearly stated within the text of the report
b. If data are also presented within a table, this is clear and does not simply repeat what is said in the text
4. The data are correctly interpreted for the reader
Critical Thinking (40%)
1. The key referral question/issue is clearly identified, and stated early in the report
2. The main body of the report systematically presents pieces of evidence collected during the assessment
a. The names and purposes of each assessment are clearly indicated
b. Information about the child’s performance/parents’ responses is provided in a way which describes the child’s strengths and difficulties
c. A clear conclusion is provided about the scores and result from each assessment
3. The reader is gradually guided through the various assessment results toward the final conclusion which summarises the main findings and clearly answers the referral question.
a. This conclusion is consistent with the referral question and the brief summary presented in the cover letter
Format and Writing (20%)
1. The cover letter and report are professional in appearance
2. A cover letter serves the role of clearly answering the referral question
3. The reader can easily follow the text of the main report and the conclusion drawn
a. Appropriate sections are present and good sentence structure is used throughout
b. Appropriate terminology and non-biasing language is used throughout
4. Grammar and spelling are accurate and the text has been proof-read
5. The flow of the report is logical and consistent