John is a 13-year-old male, eighth grader. He receives special education services as a student with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). According to his most recent evaluation, John's full-scale IQ falls within the "high average" range, and he has earned As and Bs in honors classes this year with resource support and classroom accommodations. While John sometimes becomes anxious and avoids speaking in class, his behavior has never been problematic. John tends to sit by himself at lunch and rarely socializes with his peers, and he reads books about ancient Egypt whenever he has free time, including on the school bus and during lunch. His teachers and parents believe that he would prefer to read, rather than interact with his peers. This paper describes how conceptualization of this case from an optimistic perception of disability, rather than a deficit focused perspective, can lead to implementation of positive assessment and intervention practices that could improve John's skills and help him experience a positive and fulfilling life. Two perspectives on mental health are reviewed (the dual factor model of mental health and the emerging disability paradigm) followed by a discussion about how these perspectives might affect the approach to assessment and intervention taken by a school psychologist working with John.