Case Study; As a psychiatric nurse practitioner, you are evaluating Craig, an 8-year-old boy who presents with what his parents describe as “persistent difficulties in making and keeping friends.” The parents also say that their son doesn’t seem to use or understand normal verbal or nonverbal cues that they have already seen their 6-year-old daughter using and understanding. The parents also report that Craig seems obsessed with playing with his toy trucks. They report he repeatedly plays with the same toy trucks over and over again, running the trucks up and down the middle of his room, literally for hours on end. The parents say their son seems unaffected by the others in the home and rarely responds to any environmental stimuli in the home.
Questions Discuss how you would go about conducting a psychiatric interview of Craig and his family. Are there any other people you would involve in this evaluation process? If so, describe who these people are, what information you would want from them, and your rationale. Outline the types of interventions you would use to establish a therapeutic relationship with both the child and his parents. Articulate the types of questions you would ask and discuss your rationale for asking these questions. Based on the information in this case study, what diagnosis might you give to Craig? Give your rationale for the diagnosis. Attach or link to one relevant research or evidence-based practice article and briefly explain why this article is significant to your evaluation or diagnosis
