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<blockquote data-quote="Marguerite" data-source="post: 372609" data-attributes="member: 1991"><p>BBS, I think you have just given us the information you need to point you in A direction. It still might not be the right direction, but what you describe is not just imagination or paranoia. You have had your radar sending you subtle signals, but I've seen the same sort of things on my radar too, and I have spent time with parents who have been through the same thing.</p><p></p><p>I caution you - I could be wrong. But it IS a starting point for you to begin making enquiries. We are not qualified to diagnose here and even if we were, nobody can diagnose long-distance.</p><p></p><p>So here are some things for you to start with.</p><p></p><p>1) get your hands on a copy of "The Explosive Child" by Ross Greene. Regardless of diagnosis, it helps you learn how to manage the behaviour of a child such as you describe. She fits the bill. The book also makes the job easier, I found. Some books make you tired just reading them, because you have to set up charts, you have to make lists, you have to stick up things around the place and keep notes. Well, some notes you should be keeping anyway... but this book I found reduced my workload, it didn't increase it.</p><p></p><p>2) Go to <a href="http://www.childbrain.com" target="_blank">www.childbrain.com</a> and do their online Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) questionnaire. Whatever the result, print it out and take it to the doctor next time she sees him. It can help.</p><p></p><p>3) Keep a diary. Keep notes of what she does, anything odd or interesting. Also anything relevant that you need to tell the teacher (such as "Daughter slept badly last night, she might be irritable today"). Get the teacher to also write short notes in the diary. Have the diary travel in difficult child's schoolbag. It greatly reduces classroom step conferences and lets both you and the teacher get home to have a life.</p><p></p><p>I mention Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) because it is an umbrella term which covers Asperger's Syndrome, autism (high-functioning as well as the more severe forms) and Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD)-not otherwise specified (Not Otherwise Specified). Diagnosing this in girls is tricker than in boys as a rule. Girls really do think differently and in my opinion, seem to adapt better (which masks the condition). However, there are two girls in difficult child 3's drama class who have autism. One is non-verbal but very bright.</p><p></p><p>Autism is not necessarily bad news, but it would explain a lot of what you describe. The sense of justice is keenly felt by these kids, but it is justice according to the rules as they understand them to be. Often they will also follow rules as laid down officially, but if in their observation those rules are not consistently enforced, they will be more inclined to break them. They also car argue with you until you're exhausted, using every form of logic they can summon to justify you giving them what they crave. Repetetive obsessive behaviours are also a problem - noises, tapping of pencils, fidgetting in the same way, kicking the back of a chair, rocking on a chair, lining up toys, talking non-stop about their favourite topic as if everyone else shares the same passion; plus an important thing which they can grow out of - the child often believes that what she is thinking or feeling is an open book to everyone else. They can get loudly resentful at your failure to immediately meet their needs because you have read their minds.</p><p>Inability to see other points of view; inability to see ANYTHING from a different viewpoint - look up Theory of Mind.Go for the Wikipedia reference. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_of_mind" target="_blank">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_of_mind</a></p><p></p><p>See if that helps.</p><p></p><p>At base level - you need to start over, pretty much. The starting point is where the child is, because she is so incredibly egocentric. It is all she knows how to be and she will not learn the way other kids learn. The social sense is flawed. But it can be overcome. However, she will need to be taught these things that other people learn automatically. Look up "Sixth Sense". The following article has other useful information.</p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.specialed.us/autism/asper/asper11.html" target="_blank">http://www.specialed.us/autism/asper/asper11.html</a></p><p></p><p>The diagnoses vary a little from place to place but basically we were told that in autism there is a history of language delay (even if the child has since caught up and now talks fluently with a superior vocabulary) and in Asperger's there is no language delay. It is possible to be high-functioning in any of the Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) categories and to have it in mild form, moderate or severe.</p><p></p><p>Some authors for you to look up - Temple Grandin. Tony Attwood. And a young man with autism called James Williams. If you Google the name between double quote marks, then outside the quote marks include the word "autism", you should get the right hits.</p><p></p><p>Welcome. Stay in touch. Keep an open mind, but help is here.</p><p></p><p>Marg</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Marguerite, post: 372609, member: 1991"] BBS, I think you have just given us the information you need to point you in A direction. It still might not be the right direction, but what you describe is not just imagination or paranoia. You have had your radar sending you subtle signals, but I've seen the same sort of things on my radar too, and I have spent time with parents who have been through the same thing. I caution you - I could be wrong. But it IS a starting point for you to begin making enquiries. We are not qualified to diagnose here and even if we were, nobody can diagnose long-distance. So here are some things for you to start with. 1) get your hands on a copy of "The Explosive Child" by Ross Greene. Regardless of diagnosis, it helps you learn how to manage the behaviour of a child such as you describe. She fits the bill. The book also makes the job easier, I found. Some books make you tired just reading them, because you have to set up charts, you have to make lists, you have to stick up things around the place and keep notes. Well, some notes you should be keeping anyway... but this book I found reduced my workload, it didn't increase it. 2) Go to [url]www.childbrain.com[/url] and do their online Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) questionnaire. Whatever the result, print it out and take it to the doctor next time she sees him. It can help. 3) Keep a diary. Keep notes of what she does, anything odd or interesting. Also anything relevant that you need to tell the teacher (such as "Daughter slept badly last night, she might be irritable today"). Get the teacher to also write short notes in the diary. Have the diary travel in difficult child's schoolbag. It greatly reduces classroom step conferences and lets both you and the teacher get home to have a life. I mention Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) because it is an umbrella term which covers Asperger's Syndrome, autism (high-functioning as well as the more severe forms) and Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD)-not otherwise specified (Not Otherwise Specified). Diagnosing this in girls is tricker than in boys as a rule. Girls really do think differently and in my opinion, seem to adapt better (which masks the condition). However, there are two girls in difficult child 3's drama class who have autism. One is non-verbal but very bright. Autism is not necessarily bad news, but it would explain a lot of what you describe. The sense of justice is keenly felt by these kids, but it is justice according to the rules as they understand them to be. Often they will also follow rules as laid down officially, but if in their observation those rules are not consistently enforced, they will be more inclined to break them. They also car argue with you until you're exhausted, using every form of logic they can summon to justify you giving them what they crave. Repetetive obsessive behaviours are also a problem - noises, tapping of pencils, fidgetting in the same way, kicking the back of a chair, rocking on a chair, lining up toys, talking non-stop about their favourite topic as if everyone else shares the same passion; plus an important thing which they can grow out of - the child often believes that what she is thinking or feeling is an open book to everyone else. They can get loudly resentful at your failure to immediately meet their needs because you have read their minds. Inability to see other points of view; inability to see ANYTHING from a different viewpoint - look up Theory of Mind.Go for the Wikipedia reference. [url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_of_mind[/url] See if that helps. At base level - you need to start over, pretty much. The starting point is where the child is, because she is so incredibly egocentric. It is all she knows how to be and she will not learn the way other kids learn. The social sense is flawed. But it can be overcome. However, she will need to be taught these things that other people learn automatically. Look up "Sixth Sense". The following article has other useful information. [url]http://www.specialed.us/autism/asper/asper11.html[/url] The diagnoses vary a little from place to place but basically we were told that in autism there is a history of language delay (even if the child has since caught up and now talks fluently with a superior vocabulary) and in Asperger's there is no language delay. It is possible to be high-functioning in any of the Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) categories and to have it in mild form, moderate or severe. Some authors for you to look up - Temple Grandin. Tony Attwood. And a young man with autism called James Williams. If you Google the name between double quote marks, then outside the quote marks include the word "autism", you should get the right hits. Welcome. Stay in touch. Keep an open mind, but help is here. Marg [/QUOTE]
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