She is August born, and started after October half term.
It started ok, but after a few weeks she started disliking going, and it is now at the point where she cries / moans and whinges about going. We are late nearly every day as I'm spending time coaxing her out of the house.
When I speak with her about it, I get the impression (from as far as a 4 yr old can express themselves) that its a chaotic, noisy, boisterous environment, and that her teacher shouts which she doesn't like.
She's a quiet, independent, fairly introverted child, though she plays well and has friends.
I just don't think she is emotionally ready for this transition. (She is fine and on target with reading/writing/maths)
Has anyone got any tips on how I can manage this? It's horrible to see her unhappy. (She seems ok when she's there, it's just getting there)
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Behaviour/development
Please help - reception aged dd hates school
boomoohoo · 03/04/2014 09:37
i don't blame her for hating school. i work in a school and the reception class is incredibly noisy and busy and if your child is a quiet child who likes a bit of peace then i can imagine it being stressful for her.
If you are now trying to imply that boomoohoo's child is autistic just to get one over on me, that is a little low.
I wasn't at all. I was questioning your sweeping statement and even suggesting that I was is a very low blow 
boo, both of my daughters have been really adept at the masking which girls with AS (i.e. Autism with normal or high IQ and without speech delay) use to cover up their difficulties and blend in socially. We've regularly been told that they don't look autistic or they are fine in school and just manipulating us.
They have both seemed absolutely NT when around adults and older children or in quiet, calm environments. They've played with others but not been comfortable in larger groups, preferred structured games with rules, struggled with busy and intense sensory environments, people touching, shouting unexpectedly and unexpected changes like having supply teachers, days off timetable. There are so many aspects to it that it's hard to list them off the top of your head.
The biggest problem for both of them was not wanting to be in school and being very stressed when they got home. They have both been absolute angels in school, very academically able and the perfect pupils in many ways because they were masking so well. However, they have also found every school day stressful and exhausting.
Tony Attwood writes a lot about how girls with AS can present although my girl's presentations were even subtler than a lot of what he describes. Google him and read some of his interviews.
Even if your DD doesn't have Autism, she is quite introverted and sounds like she finds some sensory experiences quite overwhelming at the moment, so some of the strategies used to help children with ASD may well help her too.
The teacher who shouts needs to know how your DD feels. She could use other methods of behaviour management and she could also give your DD a small signal, e.g. a wink or a thumbs up, to let her know that she isn't in trouble when another child is told off so she feels reassured.
No. The OP said herself that she is quite introverted and I said she sounds like she finds some sensory experiences overwhelming. That is not the same as having sensory processing issues 
I have answered a question that the OP asked. I'm sure she's grown up enough to decide for herself what she would like to know.
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