Communication Development Plan - Case Study Example

Alex's communication skills are widely affected by his AS. In his zeal to make friends, he injects himself into the games and conversations of his classmates without regard to the extent of his welcome. He tends to try to take over and dominate games, frequently imposing his own rules that favor him and/or are inconsistent with the rules that are already established. He becomes easily frustrated when he is unable to perform an action that is required during an activity, and will have a meltdown as a result.

He sometimes makes comments to his playmates that he means to be playful but which are actually offensive, without understanding the potential effects of his words. Alex also frequently misinterprets the meaning of statements that are made to him, becoming upset or otherwise reacting inappropriately to the nature of others' comments. He also fails to detect the non-verbal cues of others that indicate how they would like him to interact with them. For example, if someone consistently walks away from Alex he may tend to pursue them until they interact with him.

In formulating intervention strategies, it is important to identify the goals that need to be achieved to make Alex's communication skills as functional as possible. . Essentially, Alex will learn to market himself to potential playmates and encourage others to want him to play with them, as opposed to simply injecting himself into their play.A second goal for Alex's communication skills is to listen and adapt to the preferences of others once they have accepted him into their play group. He must transition from being dominant and imposing to being flexible and collaborative.

Alex should be able to work effectively as a part of a team and be considerate of the ideas and insights that others bring to the table. Alex should also be able to detect the non-verbal cues of others that indicate when they are becoming displeased with his behavior, whether or not the sentiment is warranted.Third, Alex must be able to keep his emotional meltdowns in check. This requires knowing the triggers and avoiding them well before they become an issue. Ultimately, Alex will have devices and "safe places" he can utilize to keep himself focused and together during frustrating or overly stimulating events.

He will learn to notice the signs of an impending meltdown, be able to call upon the appropriate refocusing action, and be able to independently bring himself back to a functional mental and emotional state, without needing to rely on the intervention of others.Finally, Alex will grasp the importance of being subtle, polite and diplomatic when it comes to choosing when and how to state his observations. He will grasp that it is not always appropriate to state what he sees, especially when doing so could be hurtful to another's feelings.

On the flip side, Alex will be able to discern sarcasm and innuendo in the statements of others, as opposed to the literal interpretations of statements that mark his current