University of the Philippines Diliman

College of Education

A CASE STUDY ON THE AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER

Course Coordinator:

Irene Oael

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Date of Submission: 16 of May, 2017

Submitted by:

Morada, Anna Theresa L. 2014-20174

I. Basic information about the child

Pamela Grace M. Diloy, or more affectionately called Pamgy by her family is a 16 year old
girl diagnosed with mild autism. Pamgy is the eldest of two children with her brother being a
normally developing child. She was born in June 23, 2000 in the city of Tacloban, Leyte. Her family
later moved to Manila after she was diagnosed. Pamgy is currently studying in La Camelle Special
Education School Bacoor, Cavite.

II. Early development of the child

In her first few years, Pamgy, was a very agreeable child. Her parents experience little to no
difficulties in raising her and noticed nothing unusual in the way their baby was acting. So it came
as a surprise to Pamgys parents when her aunt, and a licensed pediatrician, suggested that they
take her to a child development specialist to get her checked. Pamgys aunt noticed that at 2 years
old, Pamgy was only able to communicate through babbling. She also noticed that Pamgy had
fleeting eyes and did not make eye contact with her parents or other caregivers.
The Diloy family flew to Manila to get Pamgy checked by a specialist. The development
pediatrician confirmed the familys suspicions. Pamgy was diagnosed with mild autism at the age
of 3 years old. As with health issues, this developmental issue came with a variety of treatment
recommendations like undergoing occupational and speech therapy as well as attending a special
education school.
Pamgys diagnosis backed her parents into a corner. Tacloban, their home town, being a
small city did not have the resources Pamgy needed to ensure a better life for her. Her parents
thus decided to pack up and move to Manila with Pamgys aunt, her mothers sister. As soon as
they were settled Pamgy begun her twice a week sessions with her occupational therapist and
speech therapist. Per her pediatrician and therapists assessments it was determined that a goal of
learning how to speak by the age of 7 shall be set for her. After about a year of consistent therapy,
Pamgy was not showing any signs of improvement regarding her speech. Her pediatrician then
recommended that she see an applied behavioral analyst. Pamgys parents heeded the doctors
advice and within less than year, Pamgy was showing improvements in her speech and
communication skills.
It is not to say that Pamgy and her parents did not experience any difficulties in her
development as a child. A certain problem that her parents would experience is Pamgys difficulty
with potty training. Her parents shared that when she would need to urinate, Pamgy would move to
a specific doorway in their house, squat, and urinate with all her clothes on. It took her parents and
educators a few years to teach Pamgy how to properly use a toilet.
According to Mr. and Mrs. Diloy, Pamgy exhibited other manifestations of her condition.
Frequent tapping and rubbing her belly were some of the ways Pamgy stimulated her senses. She
also started throwing tantrums when her parents were not able to provide for her what she wanted.
These tantrums would last anywhere from 10 minutes to 20 minutes. Her parents also noted that
instead of staring off into space for prolonged periods of time, Pamgy was instead very restless.
She could not stay in one place for too long and she often had to keep moving around to keep
herself occupied.
To adjust for the needs of Pamgy, her parents had to make adjustments other than moving
from their home town. Her father, Jojo Diloy, decided to quit his job and focus on assisting Pamgy
full time while his wife continued working. Once they were in Metro Manila, the family moved
houses several times for several reasons like the proximity to Pamgys school or for other reasons.
This caused irregularity in Pamgys schedules but luckily she is not very sensitive to routine
changes.
In a recent assessment done for Pamgys application for a PWD card, the doctor noted
there are no major behavioral concerns. Pamgy is independent and can administer self help. She
can also perform some ADLS. Her doctor also mentioned that she still had some problems with
her social skills and she still has some difficulties with language comprehension. Other skills noted
was her capability to read and spell at the age of 8 years old, and her ability to solve simple
mathematical problems by the age of 7. Her doctor recommended that she continue with her
SPED schooling which incorporates pre-vocational activities, to prepare her for adult living.

III. Present academic and functional status of the child

Due to the Diloy familys several moves, Pamgy has been enrolled in at least three different
special education schools and has been home schooled once. Pamgy is currently enrolled in La
Camelle Special Education school. Here she learns different life skills that can help her live as an
independent adult. The school and its concentration on basic life skills is a step towards a
vocational education for Pamgy. Mr. and Mrs. Diloy also plan on resuming Pamgys occupational
and speech therapy sessions as prescribed by her doctor.
Through her schooling, Pamgy has been taught how to urinate in the proper areas, how to
pack up after herself, how to listen to instructions, etc. Pamgy is able to perform several self help
activities and is even capable of handling her own menstruation cycle. Her schooling has also
helped Pamgy communicate better with her parents, lessening her need to throw tantrums when
she is not able to relay her needs. Below is an assessment report on Pamgy, submitted last March
2016. Different life skills are grouped together as learning areas and evaluated based on the childs
mastery of these skills. The evaluation codes are; M for mastered, S for satisfactory, AIN for
additional instruction needed, and NYI for not yet introduced.

Learning Skills
Observation Remarks
Language, Reading and Writing Skills

Follow oral direction with accuracy AIN

Listen to orally read stories or poems AIN

Tell story about a picture spontaneously AIN

Recite rhymes, poems with proper expressions or

AIN
inflections She can read and write but
continuous practice is needed to
Recognize his name in print M maintain and enhance her skills
especially in spacing between
Grip pencil properly while writing M words.
Execute fundamental strokes S

Show mastery of letter forms S

Write name accurately S

Copy sentence and paragraph S

 Learning Skills
Observation Remarks
NUMERICAL SKILLS

Identify different coins and bills S

Count coins and bills according to value AIN

Her numerical capability in terms of
Determine the amount of change using pen and money is quite good and sometimes
AIN
paper she is very confused if a large
Write the ordinal numbers in words amount is presented to her. Practice
AIN
is required to attain the desired
Identify the ordinal numbers in words S output.

Determine the position of an object using ordinal

AIN
numbers

Learning Skills
Observation Remarks
Fine Motor

Trace different lines and shapes S

Color shapes and objects properly AIN She can recognize the color of the
object. More practice and activities
Cut paper within the correct line pattern AIN are needed to enhance her fine
motor skills.
Perform simple clerical works such as sorting,
S
folding, punching, filing, etc.

Learning Skills
Observation Remarks
PSYCHOSOCIAL AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS

Maintain eye contact for a considerably long period

AIN
of time

Engage in physical fitness and physical development

AIN
activities

Follow routines in the classroom AIN

Use words to describe physical state (hungry, thirsty,

AIN
etc.)

Ask permission to go to the bathroom by raising her

hand and verbalizing her needs
Respond to greetings appropriately
Have the initiative to greet others
AIN
Pamela has difficulties in language
AIN expression but despite of this she
expresses her feelings sometimes
AIN through gestures and movements.

Ask the name of a person properly AIN

Tell the teacher whenever he needs assistance AIN

Initiate conversations with classmates and/or

AIN
teachers during break time

Offer assistance to classmates who needs help AIN

Join group activities AIN

Complete task with lesser inappropriate behavior AIN

 Learning Skills
Observation Remarks
PREVOCATIONAL

To cut clothes into strips (rag making) AIN

To make a know using cloth strips (rag making) AIN

To wave cloth strips (rag making) AIN

To grate chocolate bar (chocolate making) AIN

To slice chocolate bars (chocolate making) AIN She actively participates in all the
activities continuous assistance and
To stir liquid chocolate bars (chocolate making) AIN guidance is needed.

To put liquid chocolates into molds (chocolate

AIN
making)

To repacked finished chocolate product (chocolate

S
making)

To wash and clean utensil used (chocolate making) S

Learning Skills
Observation Remarks
Gross Motor

Jumps over an object with both feet S

Walks forward idependently M

Climbs upstairs and goes downstairs using alternate

S
feet She actively participates in all gross
motor activities. More activities are
Skip ad hop well with or without rope AIN
needed.
Handle balls and blocks with ease S

Throws and catches ball properly AIN

Balance well within a given path S

Learning Skills
Observation Remarks
Self Help

Have the initiative to wash hands before and after

M
eating

Perform household chores accordingly AIN She needs to be prompted

Pack away things and to return all materials used in
their proper places
Bring home the things/materials he/she needs
sometimes in order to do the activity.
S Practice some household chores as
pare of her daily activities.
S

Arrange school materials inside the bag orderly S

IV. Future hopes of the plans for the CSN

Like any parent who knows that they will be gone in the future, Pamgys parents hope for
an independent life for her. They want her to be able to have a job and provide for herself.
Unfortunately, in the context of the Philippines, the Diloy parents know that these aspirations would
be difficult to achieve. They continually speak to their younger son, Pamgys brother, about her
condition and how, in the future, it would be his duty to care for his sister. Even at a young age,
Pamgys brother understands her situation and accepts his future responsibility towards her. For
now, Mr. and Mrs. Diloy just want Pamgy to have an easy life and to be able to maximize her
potential.

V. Reflection

As a person who grew up with a normal childhood and without exposure to people who go
through these kinds of struggles, my meeting with the Diloy family was truly an eye-opening
experience. I believe that before this meeting I was guilty of sensationalizing the struggles of
people with special needs and their families. I was surprised to find that the families of people with
special needs do not look at what they go through as struggles. The special needs of their children,
siblings, parent, etc. are a part of who they are as a family and are not seen as difficulties. I recall
being surprised when Pamgys mother struggled to name instances when she had a difficult with
Pamgy.
As much as we discussed children with special needs in class, there was one thing I failed
to internalize, that these children with special needs are, first and foremost, children. It is difficult to
look past the disabilities and see that there is just a child underneath. This experience helped me
realize this and understand the deeper emotional connection that these children need even more
than their special needs.