Diagnostic Case Study “Jake”
Assignment
For this assignment and for all of the Case Study assignments in this course, you will review the case vignette and write-up the correct diagnosis.
You may choose to do this activity on your own or work within a group (no more than five to a group). These case studies are to help you prepare for your final exam.
Steps
• Read the Case Study Vignette.
• Review your material for this week.
• Follow the steps for writing out the diagnosis for each case.
• Justify your diagnosis by explaining the steps you took to arrive at your decision.
Case Study Vignette
Jake is a 9-year-old white male who is referred for evaluation at the request of his teacher because of the difficulties he is creating in class. He was suspended for a day twice this academic year. His teacher complains that he is so restless he becomes disruptive to his classmates. He tends to roam around the classroom, talking to others, when they are trying to work. When his teacher can get him to stay in his seat, he fidgets with his hands and feet and drops things on the floor. He is impulsive and never seems to know what he is going to do next. His most recent suspension was for swinging from a light fixture above the chalk-board and his inability to get down triggered a class uproar.
According to his mother, Jake has been extremely restless and demanding ever since he was 3 years old. He has always required little sleep and tends to wake up around 4:30a.m. before anyone else in the family. When his parents would wake up they would find the living room or kitchen “demolished.” Once when he was 4 years old he managed to unlock the door and wandered off into a busy street. Fortunately, he was rescued from oncoming traffic by a neighbor walking his dog. A preschool program rejected his admission due to his challenging behavior and he had a lot of problems in kindergarten. He was placed in a behavioral modification program in first and second grade. He was recently mainstreamed into a regular classroom but ends up spending most of his time with a teacher’s aide in the resource room due to his disruptiveness. Intellectually, Jake scores average. Other children do not like playing with him because he cannot wait his turn, is unable to stay focused, and becomes easily frustrated. He dislikes any games or toys that requires concentration but loves to ride his bike and play outside with his dog.