Question

Scenario: Rashid

Rashid has an autism diagnosis. He is 16 years old and attends a special school. Rashid has limited verbal communication. He mainly uses pictures to make his needs known to his teaching and support staff. Rashid is hypersensitive to touch. His mum cuts the labels out of his clothes. Rashid becomes very upset if there are any changes to his day. He doesn't attempt to interact with the adults or other children in the room, and spends a significant part of each day pacing around one small section of the classroom.

Scenario: Josh
Josh has an autism diagnosis. He is 16 years old and attends a mainstream secondary school. Josh communicates verbally. He has a good vocabulary. However, he interprets spoken and written text literally. Josh is hypersensitive to noise. Sometimes, he asks to go to the sensory room. This helps him to relax when he is feeling overwhelmed. Josh is extremely interested in computers. He spends many hours a day learning everything he can about them. He is keen to share his knowledge with his peers even in lessons other than IT and at breaktime. Josh appears unaware that his friends want to talk about other topics.
Q2 With reference to either or both scenarios, state how characteristics of the triad of impairments might be seen as
A- positive
B- negative

Answer 1

Both positive and negative aspects can be seen in the characteristics of the triad of impairments in autism in the given scenarios.

Step-by-step explanation:

In both scenarios, the characteristics of the triad of impairments seen in autism can be seen as both positive and negative.

In the case of Rashid, his limited verbal communication and use of pictures to communicate his needs can be seen as positive because it allows him to effectively express himself and make his needs known to his teaching and support staff. His hypersensitivity to touch and resistance to change, on the other hand, can be seen as negative because they restrict his comfort and flexibility in different situations.

Similarly, in the case of Josh, his good verbal communication skills and ability to share his knowledge about computers can be seen as positive as it allows him to engage with others and pursue his interests. However, his literal interpretation of spoken and written text and his inability to understand social cues can be seen as negative because it may affect his communication and social interactions with others.