Progression Through the CARD Curriculum:
Joey: A Case Description
Joey was diagnosed with Autistic Disorder in December of 1995 and
began treatment at CARD in February of 1996 at the age of 3 years,
6 months. Treatment intensity ranged from 30 to 40 hours per week
of 1:1 in-home and school based behavioral intervention.
Presenting Symptoms at Intake:
| Deficits |
Excesses |
 |
Profound
Delays in Joint Attention |
|
Inability
to Interact Socially with Peers |
|
No
Purposeful Concrete or Imaginative Play |
|
Absence
of any Meaningful Language |
|
Inability
to Consider Other Perspectives |
|
|
Frequent
Non-compliance |
|
Frequent
Tantrum Behavior |
|
Self-Stimulatory
Behaviors: Lining objects, "video talk", obsessions
with trains, hand flapping and gazing |
|
Echolalia |
|
Assessments: The following assessments highlight Joey's
substantial cognitive, language, and adaptive functioning gains
between the years of 1996 and 2001 at all levels of the CARD curriculum:
| Test |
Intake
(1996)
Age: 3 years, 6 months
|
7 Months Treatment (1996)
Age: 4 years, 1 months
|
Two years Treatment (1998)
Age: 5 years, 5 months
|
1 year Post Treatment (2000)
Age: 7 years, 7 months
|
2 years Post Treatment (2001)
Age: 8 years, 6 months
|
Vineland Adaptive
Behavior Scale |
Scaled Scores
Age Equivalent |
Scaled Scores
Age Equivalent |
Scaled Scores
Age Equivalent |
Scaled Scores
Age Equivalent |
Scaled Scores
Age Equivalent |
| Communication |
69
Age Equivalent: 1.9 |
90
Age Equivalent: 3.5 |
93
Age Equivalent: 5.0 |
95
Age Equivalent: 7.7 |
103
Age Equivalent: 8.7 |
| Daily living |
64
Age Equivalent: 1.9 |
94
Age Equivalent: 3.8 |
88
Age Equivalent: 4.9 |
85
Age Equivalent: 6.8 |
89
Age Equivalent 7.5 |
| Socialization |
69
Age Equivalent: 1.8 |
97
Age Equivalent:3.10 |
86
Age Equivalent: 4.4 |
90
Age Equivalent: 6.5 |
103
Age Equivalent: 8.11 |
| Motor Skills |
67
Age Equivalent: 2.4 |
91
Age Equivalent: 3.7 |
70
Age Equivalent: 3.8 |
|
|
| Adaptive Behavior |
60
Age Equivalent:1.11 |
90
Age Equivalent: 3.7 |
79
Age Equivalent: 4.5 |
86
Age Equivalent: 6.11 |
101
Age Equivalent: 8.4 |
| IQ |
|
PSIQ 101
VSIQ 68
FSIQ 82
WPPSI-R
|
PSIQ 108
VSIQ 109
FSIQ 109
WPPSI-R
|
PSIQ 110
VSIQ 104
FSIQ 107
WISC-III
|
|
COMMENTS ON JOEY'S PROGRESS
|
By January of 1999,
Joey no longer presented with any of the above behavioral excesses
or deficits observed at intake and services were terminated.
Joey's original diagnosis has been removed by an independent
clinician from an outside agency. He is no longer eligible for
district provided services. Currently, Joey is fully mainstreamed
and thriving academically and socially in a regular education
second-grade placement. |
|
As noted in on-going
assessments, Joey not only made significant gains in all areas
of adaptive functioning during treatment, but continues to develop
appropriately 2 years post-treatment. |
|
Although Joey once
found interaction with peers extremely stressful, he has now
developed a large peer-group and has a best friend. Joey has
been evaluated as being comfortable and involved in pretend
and competitive play with peers, and successful in creating
and negotiating mutual play scenarios through considering his
own desires as well as peer preferences. |
|
Joey's social development
demonstrates the significance of advanced programming in an
ABA program, as implemented in the final year of Joey's treatment,
including experiential instruction in understanding others'
emotions, desires, preferences, knowledge, beliefs, and intentions,
as well as pragmatics and social-cue identification. |
|
