Checklist for Assignments

Course Code: EDUC16859

Assignment: #2: SOPHIE

1. I understand my professor’s expectations for this assignment. In particular, I understand

his/her specifications regarding collaborating with other students.

2. I completed this assignment independently. It was not written by another person, nor did I use
another student’s work.

3. I used the documentation style recommended by my professor consistently throughout this

assignment (for example, APA).

4. When including direct quotations, I have acknowledged the use of others’ words by including
quotation marks around the quoted material and I have provided full and accurate citations.

5. For paraphrased material, I put the original author’s ideas into my own words and I have provided
full and accurate citations.

6. I have properly acknowledged the use of any photographs, illustrations, charts, diagrams,
figures, audio, video, etc. from outside sources.

7. For this assignment, I have saved all of the articles I cited, all of my notes, outlines and rough drafts
in the event that my professor asks to see these.

8. I have never previously submitted this assignment, or parts of this assignment, for any other course.

9. I did not share my work with anyone else, and have no intention of doing so.

10. If someone else proofread my work and provided suggestions for revisions, I made all of the
changes myself.

11. I asked a librarian or a tutor for citation help if needed.

12. I understand Sheridan’s Academic Integrity Policy, and am aware of the consequences
of breaching this policy.

13. I understand that I am required to submit my work to Turn It In to check for originality. This
process also allows me to review my initial work and correct any identified issues prior to
submitting my work for evaluation.

Student Name: Victoria Lovell Date: Oct 1, 2018

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Signature:
Running head: SOPHIE 3

Sophie

Victoria Lovell

EDUC16859 Autism Spectrum Disorders

Professor Michelle Lane-Barmapov

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Introduction

This paper presents the key points for working with a student with Autism Spectrum

Disorder (ASD) and their parents based on Szatmari’s (2004) discussion about families’

acceptance on receiving a diagnosis of Autism.

Sophie

Sophie is a 5-year old girl who has been adopted from a Romanian orphanage and now

lives in a small village with her new parents Greg and Marianne. Sophie has typical issues that

are commonly associated with ASD such as no eye contact, dislike to be hugged, funny noises,

poor communication skills, lack of social interaction, aggression etc. (Sheridan College, 2018).

The first important step in working with a student with ASD and their parents is the

acceptance by the parents of the diagnosis. As discussed by (Szatmari, 2004), Greg and Marianne

had accepted the fact that Sophie had certain issues at the age of 3. The new parents started early

interventions such as professional advice from the local child development centre, physiotherapy,

motor skills, interactions with other children, etc.

Greg’s and Marianne’s approach to dealing with the issue that they had faced was early

interventions, which is indeed a key step in working with children with ASD. Other important

elements of the work plan may include, but are not limited to:

 Parent education;

 Seeking advice from medical professional;

 Consultation with the local autism service providers;

 Engaging with the local autism communities;

 Work and collaboration between parents, medical professionals, service providers

and teachers;
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 Speech and physical therapy;

 Contact with other children;

 Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) / Intensive Behavioural Intervention (IBI)

sessions; and

 Continuous support.

Conclusion

While ASD is not a disease that may pass or cured over time, the acceptance of the

diagnosis and early interventions play an important role in helping a child with ASD learn how to

live with ASD. Great results can be achieved by continuous support and lifetime collaboration

between parents such as Greg and Marianne, medical professionals e.g. speech, ABA/IBI,

physiotherapists, service providers (for example, ErionoakKids and Geneva Centre for Autism)

and teachers, including Educational Assistants (EA).

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References

Szatmari, P. (2004). A mind apart: Understanding children with autism and asperger syndrome.

New York, NY: The Guilford Press

Sheridan College. (2018). ASD week 1 revised 2018 [PowerPoint slides 22, 23 and 24].