Case Studies in Abnormal Child and Adolescent Psychology. Robert Weis

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       How might you operationally define the behavior problem?

       What might be an antecedent of the behavior? How might this antecedent elicit the behavior?

       What might be a consequence of the behavior? How might this consequence reinforce the behavior and maintain it over time?

       How might you intervene, either by altering the antecedent or consequence of the behavior?

      1 You are a psychologist working in an elementary school. You have been asked by one of the teachers at the school to deal with a fifth-grade student who bullies other children. The teacher says the child’s behavior is getting worse and she is growing very frustrated with him.

      2 You are a therapist assigned to work with an extremely shy 7-year-old girl. She refuses to go to school because she fears criticism from her teacher and classmates. She has no friends and only seems comfortable at home.

      3 Your client is a 34-year-old woman with a disrespectful son. The boy never does what she says, deliberately defies her, throws tantrums, and ignores her commands. She reports considerable stress in her role as a mother. She loves her son but doesn’t enjoy spending time with him.

      4 Your client is an 8-year-old boy with autism spectrum disorder and below-average intellectual functioning. He attends a regular second-grade classroom with help from an aide. Several times each hour, the boy engages in stereotypies: rocking back and forth and flapping his arms. His stereotyped behaviors are disruptive and distract his classmates during lessons.

      5 Your teenage client reports problems with depression that have lasted approximately 4 months. She feels sad and lethargic most of the time, has dropped out of her favorite activities like the school pep and jazz bands, has a hard time getting out of bed in the morning, and can’t concentrate on her schoolwork. She wants antidepressant medication and is furious when she finds out that you can’t prescribe it because you’re a psychologist and not a “real doctor.”

      6 You are a family therapist. One of your clients is a couple who has been married for 6 years. They have two young children. The wife complains that her husband doesn’t listen to her or appreciate her. The husband complains that his wife is emotionally distant and frigid. They each say that the other one is argumentative. They are seeing you as a last-ditch effort before divorce.