Assignment

Billy, a 14-year-old White male, is an exceptionally good student, particularly in math and science. His parents, however, have been concerned since he was 6 or 7 about his social isolation and lack of affection. During grade school, he constructed a short wave radio and spent most of his free time perfecting its design and listening to foreign stations. He became very interested in following the weather reports of different countries. His most recent interest is satellite photographs of weather conditions around the world. In addition, Billy spends time phoning various weather services and subscribes to several meteorological publications. He reportedly enjoys watching television, preferably by himself. Two friends shared his interest, briefly, in the past, but they soon stopped spending time with Billy due to his obsessive interest in only meteorology. Billy has very little contact with other schoolmates. During the interview, Billy appeared emotionless and polite. Occasionally he expressed irritation over his parents' attempts to "interfere" in his affairs, though he considered them to be on his side, particularly his mother. Although he expressed no interest in sports, he appeared well coordinated and displayed no peculiarities of movement. He stated that he hoped to work at a weather station when he grew up and reported particular interest in the Antarctic.

Assignment (1–2 pages)

For this Assignment, consider your suggestions for treating Billy. Write a 1- to 2-page summary of the case study. Your analysis should:

• Determine whether Billy meets criteria for an autism spectrum disorder


• Explain your rationale for your decision


• Explain whether a diagnosis of an autism spectrum disorder would benefit Billy in the development of a treatment plan and how