Reference no: EM133534478

CASE STUDY: It's a week before school starts and you are called by a mother who asks to speak with you about her son who is a new 9th grader. She explains that her son, Sam, has high-functioning autism. Sam refuses to tell anyone about his condition and seeks to be a normal 14-year-old teenager. He does not want any accommodations through a 504 plan or IEP. He states he is just as smart as all the other kids. He had an IEP in elementary school, and you notice from his most recent IQ test a year ago he has average to above average scores. He has been homeschooled during middle school due to teasing but it is his decision to go to high school. On his middle school transcript, he had As and Bs in all coursework. The mother expresses several concerns, and she works full-time and is now a single parent and Sam spends 50% of his time with both parents. Mom describes him as stubborn and does not want assistance at home and wants to be independent. Some concerns she mentions include:

• He'll forget to shower (unless he uses his home schedule),
• He won't eat in the lunchroom due to the noise and fear of people touching his food. She will pack his lunch but he may often forget it, which could result in a meltdown.
• He'll wear the same clothes all the time because they are comfortable, but she fears he will be teased;
• He may be late or absent if he does not get a good night's sleep or forgets to set his alarm on days she has to get to work early.

Question: REFLECTION Looking at this student's situation through a nature (autism) and nurture (home/school environment) lens how would you respond to this case? What are the next appropriate steps to take to assist this parent and student? What professional dispositions are important when working with parents and students with disabilities? Are there any legal or ethical considerations in this case?