Strategies for Addressing Individual Needs Essay

Strategies for Addressing Individual Needs - Essay Example His lack of eye contact, his difficulty in social interaction and his lack of response to his name are all symptoms of Autistic Spectrum Disorders (Anderson, 2007, p. 16). I would recommend to his parents that he be screened for this disorder as a precaution. If autism is found, there can be early intervention work and behavioral interventions that can be specific to autism. The New York State (NYS) Department of Health, Early Intervention Program, suggests that there are several early screening assessments that can be used. The Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (CHAT) is a short test that can be administered to detect autism in toddlers. The Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) combines information from parents and from a professional to see whether there is a possibility for autism. These two screening tests would be used in addition to the observation that was made in the classroom. Another area of concern that I see would be Roberts hearing. He also exhibits many symptoms of a child who either is not hearing or who does not hear well. My question would be whether Robert has ever made noises from his earlier years. As an example, many children will babble and coo when they are babies. Sometimes deaf babies do not. According to Kibby and Perlstein (2010) a child who does not have normal hearing may not be able to develop normal speech and language. Speech delay, a diagnosis of autism, frequent ear infections and low birth rate are some of the risk factors for hearing loss. I would refer Roberts parents to an audiologist to test his hearing. The case study does not state whether Robert is listening to other sounds or not so we can only go on the fact that he does not answer to his name when it is called. One assessment that Kibby and Perlstein suggest for a child of Roberts age would be play audiometry. This test pairs sounds with a specific task or response. The y give an example where a