MS, sounds exactly like DS1's, it has a sheeps head on it hehe, he calls it "ma"
HA :( I have no advice sorry, but your story makes me sad and angry. I have no idea what I'd do in that situation, how tough for you :( :hug:
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MS, sounds exactly like DS1's, it has a sheeps head on it hehe, he calls it "ma"
HA :( I have no advice sorry, but your story makes me sad and angry. I have no idea what I'd do in that situation, how tough for you :( :hug:
We have had blankie incidents too. All my boys have a tagalong blankie and a bigger blankie that was made by my grandmother-in-law. Ds2 is the only one thats truly attached to his tagalong blankie. He'd take it everywhere with him if Id let him but when he is home it follows him everywhere, when he sleeps he strokes it. We've had panic attacks over not being able to find blankie but the other week he asked me to wash it because he had wet the bed. I expained 3 times that it would have to go in the machine - yep no worries - so I washed it. 5 seconds after the machine filled up he spat it. Screamed for 45mins straight it was a nightmare. Needless to say it wont be washed again.
Freya, i can totally sympathise with you there! The SAME thing happens here, no matter how much I explain that he won't have ma for at least an hour makes no difference until it's in the machine and he spits it. In a way I'm glad I'm not alone there... stinky ole thing :lol:
This a thread I started a while ago about DD2.
:
OMG she's driving me absolutely bonkers!! To the point where I'm starting to wonder if there's something more going on with her, but there's nothing that stands out as something ITMS.
Ok, she's always been my difficult child. From the day she was born.
She was born a screamer. Colicy for months, because of this her routine as a NB started with her nights being 3am - 2pm. She would just scream to sleep. It was so hard to deal with at the time.
I managed to get her back to 1am bed times by 10 weeks old, but it took years to get her into a decent, before 11pm routine.
She has alot of trouble with her routine being broken. As a baby, the very rare occasions we'd sleep somewhere else for a night, she would scream for hours on end & would not sleep. I remember a birthday of mine. We stayed at MIL's the night, & she was ok til somewhere around midnight. I was still up, so when she wouldn't settle back down, took her out to sit with us. An hour later she was still awake, so I went to bed hoping that'd help her sleep. After 3 hours of screaming, at 4am I took her for a drive, almost an hour later she settled & fell asleep. The second I got out of the car she was awake screaming again. She was about 7 months old.
Again at a friends place. After 3 solid hours of screaming, we get up & go home at 3 or 4 am. This time she was about 16 months old.
She's always been loud & full on. She simply doesn't understand quiet, lol!
Its a bit like DS. He's 2 turning 3 & can be quiet if he remembers, but forgets in seconds. I guess most kids are like that. But even Bri's whisper is over the top loud!
She started school this year. She was only 4.5 at the start of the year, but she was too much at home. She needed stimulation, more than I could give her & I couldn't afford 5 days of day care. Not only that, she'd started to refuse to go. Would cry the second she found out it was DC day & insist that she didn't want to go. Seperation anxiety I think.
But she's loved school. Every second of it. Not one day has she not wanted to go. I have to fight her to stay home when she's sick! These holidays are going to be fun for her. She still doesn't understand holidays/weekends etc.
I don't know how to explain her bahaviours? Kind of compulsive? Like she can't control it?
She's 5.5 & still draws on the walls. I don't mean the odd scribble here & there, we have drawing on every wall in the house & thats with it cleaned off at least once a month.
I don't understand it. She knows its wrong. She knows she'll get in trouble, but she'll still sneak off to her bedroom, hiding a pen or pencil & draw on the walls, or on her bed.
I just bought her & DS a $500 set of bunk beds. I told her if she draws on the wall, or her bed I'd take it back. I'm telling you, if you saw the amount of pen/pencil/texta on that bed, wall & roof, you'd think I do nothing. You'd think it was years worth of drawing. You wouldn't know it'd been all cleaned off not so long ago for a house inspection.
I've told her if she keeps going & the real estate see's it, they'll make us move out & we won't have a house any more. I've yelled, smacked, taken every pencil/texta I find & throw it in the bin, but she still finds them. I don't know where or how, coz I can never find one when I need one.
She's a very emotional, sensitive child. Its very rare that I smack her. Absolute last resort, but I do, because i don't know what the hell else to do at the time!
If I send her to her room, she & tell her she's to stay there, she gets so upset she vomits at times. & she's soooo loud! I can't imagine what the neighbours must think!
This (the drawing) has mostly been in the last 6 months. Well the worst of it has been the last 6 months. I just don't get this. The last 2 weeks I've also had a hard time getting her to get enough sleep. I'm hoping this is just more about the end of the year, but I dunno.
We had an afternoon at the beach, then BBQ at the park with friends. We were home about 8.15, but the kids wouldn't have gotten to sleep til at least 9. Since then Bri is often awake well after 9.30/10pm, despite being sent to bed at 8. 7.30 last night!
I'm having to wake her up in the mornings & she winges about being tired. So I try telling her stop playing when you go to bed! Go to sleep! Light on or off, she won't sleep.
Last night I walked in there at 9.30, after sending her to bed at 7.30 coz they were both so tired & taking pens out of her hand again. I turned on the light & there was MORE drawing on the wall & bed. I told her to get off her bed & made her sleep on the floor
Told her, thats it, I'm taking your bed away like I said I would. I also told her that if she didn't wake up herself this morning, she would be staying home. Its their last day today. They're at the pool & waterslide for the day. Sure enough she was awake at 7.30. Probably had something to do with the phone ringing then though
Mum is a self diagnoser IYKWIM. Maybe its this, maybe its that, read this. I've always looked into/read it, but it hasn't been the case.
I would like to have her tested for ADD/ADHD, even though the school doesn't think she is. They just think she's a loud attention seeker. Always taling over everyone else to make sure the teacher hears her.
She is sensitive to food colourings, so I'm careful with what I give her, but she's still a real handful.
I don't know. I was going to add more about her, but my mind has just gone blank. Sleep deprivation will do that.
I don't know what to do. The drawing on the walls is going too far & I don't know how the hell to stop it!!
She has struggled alot with school. It was her teacher who thinks she may have Auditory & Visual processing disorders.
She's having assessments done at school & we go to the gp on March 29, for a referral to a paed, or what ever else he offers us.
I've googled alot, but there was part of a thread started by Lulu about SID/SPD that stuck out at me also.
It seems she's a sensory seeker.
She's very touchy feely. Drives me mad. I have DS & DD3 all over me & she tried to get in there too. She's a very 'in your space' kind of kid.:
Sensory seeking children look for extra sensory information from one or more senses which helps them remain alert. Sensory seekers are often 'on the go' and have difficulty settling for quieter activities. They may be excessively fidgety, put objects in their mouths, touch excessively, make noise for noise sake and seek out intense sensations like crashing their bodies into furniture or objects.
She's over the top loud. Everyone comments on it. Some people seem to avoid us becase of it :( I know I avoid alot of things in life because of her :(
She wears others out. She's just so busy & on the go all the time, noone else can keep up. Friends dance around the fact that they think she's a PITA.
Anyway, thats our introduction for now. I guess I should've started a new thread, rather than putting it all in here... :dunno:
Oh Skye :hug:
I dont know what to say because Im still in the same boat right now. Well your probably actually ahead of me assessment wise because she goes to school and they will ensure she is assessed.
Its rough though, when you dont know how to handle them or get through to their mind in a way that makes a difference. Its also mega hard when you have other kids to deal with; my most frustrating thing is that Ds3 is so much more 'with it' than Ds2. Which is silly because Ds2 is 3 and Ds3 is 2 at the end of this month. Yet he can understand commands, do what I ask and understand punishment 1000x better than Ds2 can.
I'll be back later for an update on us. Its a long and boohoo one so I need to wait til the kids are napping.
:hug:
Right Im back with 5 mins of peace (thankgod for ABC2!)
So we've been waiting to find the $$$ to get Ripleys assessments done. Its been a nightmare especially because we are on time constraints as we are moving in June. The child psych we saw recommended having two cognitive assessments done and the ADOS, but to do it with them it was going to cost us $2000 (yeah I know :wall: ). So we've just left it and tried to save up but things just keep cropping up that eat at our savings.
Fast forward to today. I did some begging and pleading around the traps and managed to find a psych that will do the cognitive assessment (only one of the two) for $400 (heavily discounted). Seeing as Ds2's behaviour is getting worse Ive decided to just book it and go from there. So we are heading off on tuesday (:o) at 9am for the Stanford Binet testing. I found a different psych that does the ADOS assessment over 4 1-1.5hr sessions for $180 each appointment and if you have a paed referral you can claim $80 back each appointment. So Im going to book that for whenever the next available appointment is. Atleast then it isnt upfront $$$, the only downside is it'll take around 1-2mths to finish up and get the results.
Im terrified theyll find nothing abnormal even though everyone, including the current psych and speech therapist, say its plain to see he's not normal. We've just got to figure out HOW he isnt normal and that where the assessments come into play.
On top of that, his daycare teacher has pulled me up twice about his lack of interaction with the other kids. He has been going to this daycare since Sept 2009, so well over 18mths. He just moved up to the preschool room in January but he moved up with a bunch of his friends from the nursery room so its not a case of not knowing anyone or moving to a new environment, he even knew the teachers from when Ds1 went there in early 2010. She was quite concerned given that she knows Ds2 quite well. He wont even play with his little girlfriends (identical twins, theyre all so cute together lol) anymore which is what really sent up alarm bells. He just sits off on his own and plays. He doesnt even talk to anyone, only the teachers if they approach him. Theyre going to do up a behavioural observation for me to take to whomever needs it.
God I cannot wait for this to end. Sounds bad wanting to label your kid but it will just end alot of stress and worry and frustration of not knowing how to help him.
Anyway I'll end it there because we have speech therapy in half hour and I have to drop the kids at my mothers before we go.
Have a big peice of chocolate as a reward for reading to the end :lol:
Thats what I worry about Freya. What if there's nothing there...
BBL, 3.30am & i neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeed sleep!
:grouphug:
I had the same concerns... what if there is nothing there... what then? Am I crazy? Seeing things? All those months wasted on chasing up an assessment, how are we going to get help if he doesn't get a diagnosis. Sooo many questions and fears. I had those fears right up until I saw it on paper, the diagnosis, then I felt relief and sadness. Sad for my little boy who had to have a label just to get help (which STINKS!) and relief for the help that we will now get.
:hug: you'll get there guys, it's a long road but once you get to the top it does get a little easier.
Skye, We are in the 'assessment stages' too, but there isn't a person I have spoken to who isn't utterly convinced that Princess is spectrum.
Something stuck out for me there. Princess is loud. All the time. They did hearing tests but her hearing is fine (and she can hear me whisper the word chocolate 3 rooms away!) but she talks so damned loud. One of the staff at the last school joked that Princess has two volumes - Loud and F***in Loud (yeah, charming, I know). There are a lot of things you have mentioned that remind me of princess.
Ignore the teachers and get a referral for a paed.
:hug:
Freya: Good job on finding some assessments you can afford. Absolutely horrible that it costs so much to get help for children. We were very lucky that the school referred us to a paed that bulk billed and dealt in ASD.
but yeah, everything else has sky high costs and its just so hard to think there will ever be a time where people care that she gets help.
Its the gp I think I'll have to push HA, teachers are supporting me 100%, but thankyou so much :)
I might go read up on aspergers. I don't know much about it. I know its on the autism spectrum, but don't get where it stands iykwim. She has no worries interacting with people, so haven't thought about it.
Its kind of in the middle, Skye.
There is:
PDD-NOS -> Aspergers -> Autism
And on the teachers thing, I was referring to this part
Thats just rude! But I guess with all the troubles I have had with schools, I am cynical, lol.:
I would like to have her tested for ADD/ADHD, even though the school doesn't think she is. They just think she's a loud attention seeker. Always taling over everyone else to make sure the teacher hears her.
Lulu posted a thread on Apsergers, which has been stickied. Worth having a look. Also her blog, Lulu and the Cyclone, has some info on Aspy, ADD and how her boy fit in on there. Just a pity she isn't here to help you out. Also you can check out my blog on princess - uniquetoo.blogspot. Been meaning to update it with the paed apptment but just been feeling very overwhelmed atm and now I just feel sick. =(
Yeah, I'm feeling a bit ripped off TBH that Lulu isn't here, but her posts are & they've given me alot of info so far.
Haven't read her Cyclone blog yet. Didn't think of it. Will do though.
Now, I have to ask. Is her needing her shoe laces done to the same tightness & her hair in exactly the same spot on each side on her head, something I should remember too?
She's very particular & will cry til you fix it!
ETA - I see where you mean re teachers now. Sorry I wrote that post back in December & because it didn't all just happen recently I've forgotten those bits!
Hows everyone going?
I have my respite day today :) DSC have paid for the next month (one day a week) for day care for both the boys. I'm kinda lost today... what am I meant to do? :lol: My house is so clean, I made some jewellery lol
Honey Aspen, what does PDD-NOS stand for?:
Earlykids, hope you enjoyed your respite day :)
We have our first appointment for DD next month. I've been reading a book about Aspergers and DD definately shows some of the traits but not all of them. Just wondering what the PDD-NOS stands for and whether DD is more at that end of the spectrum.
PDD-NOS = Pervasive Developmental Disorder - Not Otherwise Specified, DS1 has that diagnosis. He didn't tick enough criteria for Autism, for PDD-NOS you don't need to tick as many boxes.
Thanks early Kids :) will read into that.
We went to a friends for a play date today. her daughter is the same age as DD and we have all known each other since before our DD's were born. I was telling my friend that I'm getting DD seen to next month and she said that she would have never suspected that my DD had aspergers. But then i guess she does not see a lot of what happens at home. Was hair washing night tonight and DD absolutely cracked it. She HATES the sensation of her hair being wet. She screamed the whole time in the bath. I managed to calm her down afterwards by putting a Dora towell on her pillow (like what mummy does when she goes to bed with her hair a little bit wet, though not a Dora one, Lol)
Sorry guys, its been so hard to come in here lately for me, I haven't felt right :(.
With Lu... My DD1 was diagnosed first, but she and Cyclone were 3 days apart and we started noticing the similarities in them from the time they were 6 months. DD1 is diagnosed with Autism only because her communication was lower... but other than that they are amazingly similar beings.
The thing with PDD-Nos, Asperger's or Autism is that it affects ALL the children differently, yes there is a check list, and yes its hard to figure out but all three are on the same spectrum. Think of it as a Rainbow... some are on the right side in the red, some are in the left in the purple, some are in the middle in yellow... but they are all on the same rainbow (this is how we explain it to our DD's). Matilda is in the yellow somewhere on the right hand side... she is considered high functioning autism but at the same place in the red would be Cyclone. Its all to do with IQ levels and communication abilities. DD1 refuses to communicate, she has a high IQ, medium social IQ but her communication abilities are quite low. She actually has a large vocabulary but is unable to put it together when the smallest amount of stress enters the picture. That is how she crossed the border from Asperger's to Autism. Does that make sense?
Personally, I won't worry too much about where on the spectrum they are, only that once you have a spectrum diagnosis, you can get started on getting help for them for survival in our world.
Over and over I've had people tell me that DD1 doesn't "look" Autistic. I can't believe that people think you should be able to see autism. Its not like she needs a walking frame, its that her brain processes things differently! I want to say back "oh thats funny, because I didn't think you looked ignorant?" instead I say "What does Autism look like to you?" If Matilda is around, I say "Yes well super heros like to hide their super powers in their day to day life".