Alise has a 5-year-old son who has recently been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder: Psychology, Mental Health and Neurodiversity Assignment, UCD, Ireland

Question 1:

Alise has a 5-year-old son who has recently been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. She has become overwhelmed with attempting to understand the origins of autism and has found herself down an internet rabbit hole of misinformation and is now uncertain about what is accurate and what is not. She has come to you asking for clarification and the best course forward for her son, Nikolajs.

You have decided to condense information in an easy-to-read format (i.e., a leaflet) without scary terminology and jargon. This leaflet will contain the following information:

• The prevalence of autism.
• The etiology of autism.
• The characteristics of autism.
• Recommendations for support and interventions, including those offered by other professionals within the Irish context.

Create a leaflet with the aforementioned details in an easy-to-understand format for Alise, while also ensuring that appropriate and peer-reviewed sources are used.

Question 2:

Sarah is a 15-year-old girl who has lived in foster care for the last 5 years and has a very positive relationship with her foster parents and the two other children she lives with. She has presented with many challenges over the years and has recently been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (i.e., ADHD) and generalized anxiety disorder (i.e., GAD) by a clinical psychologist. She has been referred to a psychiatrist for medications to treat her anxiety and support her ADHD.

PART A

Selecting either ADHD or GAD, briefly discuss the biological components of your selected disorder with reference to appropriate peer-reviewed literature.

PART B

Given the role that medications often play in the treatment and support of both ADHD and GAD, briefly outline your role in supporting an individual with ADHD OR GAD while considering the limits of your own practice. 

Question 3:

The neurodiversity movement has gained great traction over the last number of years creating a more empowered and inclusive landscape for neurodivergent populations. Briefly discuss the term neurodiversity and the importance of this neurodiversity movement, with consideration of its importance within the social care profession.

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