Case Study: Foster Home

Tracey is a friendly twenty-one-year-old woman who currently attends the 6-22 transition program within the school district due to diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder. She has identified three goals for herself of: attending college in order to achieve employment in an office environment; engaging in independent living by moving in with a friend upon graduation from high school; working in an office like her father. In evaluating how best to help Tracey to obtain her goals, some areas have been identified as strengths and weaknesses for her and will need further assessment and instruction. Tracey currently functions more effectively when her routines are predictable; unexpected transitions are difficult for her. She is frequently impulsive
The foster home environment is one that will encourage Tracey's independent living skills while allowing her to interact with people who are interested in helping her grow. The foster home offers a smaller, more independent situation than the group home, and prepares her for apartment living (Heward, 2013). Tracy currently has difficulties with transitions and is better with routine. The foster home offers a smaller environment in which interruptions and alterations to her schedule will occur on a smaller scale than it might in a group home. Tracey will have the opportunity to increase her ability to adapt these changes slowly thereby increasing her chances of success. Tracey is prone to impulsivity and will need to learn to share space and items with others and not grab or push others when she wants things and the foster home provides an opportunity for her to acquire this skill with fewer people than a larger setting would, thus causing less frustration for Tracey. She will learn the necessary skills required through sharing chores, sharing common spaces, and sharing common items; this will lead to controlling impulsivity with the help of her foster family. Additionally, Tracey needs verbal direction to change her clothes and dress appropriately. By placing her in a foster home, the family will be able to help her pick out appropriate clothing for the next day and reinforce her choices by complimenting her on her attire. She is able to successfully complete most of her daily living tasks relatively independently and follow directions, although more complex tasks are more easily completed when accompanied by pictures. In the smaller setting of a foster home, this is easily accomplished through verbal direction from her foster family and in working closely with her caseworker; Tracey can participate in the compilation of