Do we have a problem??? Or not? Help Please!

[charliecat]

I have been on a waiting list for my dd to be seen by someone??? not sure who since november 2002.
Got a phone call today saying theres an appointment next week if i want it if not then shes top of the list and will get seen in the next couple of months anyway.
DD is now 6 and a half. She used to be an absoulte nightmare screaming about nothing, not eating various things and i thought it was AS.
Now we dont have any screaming or any problems as such, just silly things like you really have to ask her the exact question to get an answer from her. Shes not forthcoming with any conversation at all and if you dont give her an actual yes or no she just stands there till you say YES or NO bla bla bla.
She is bright and immaculatly behaved at school and she has friends, but these are girls that have picked her, she doesnt speak to them when they come up bouncing to her in the morning saying Hello bright and cheery, she will say hello if i say Say hello then....
She looks really rather deathly on school days and the colour drains back into her face on friday afternoons when its the start of the weekend.
She has no sympathy for anyone, she only plays games HER way. She cant stand losing she screams and strops off or refuses to play half way through if she thinks shes going to lose.
She always corrects people if they say something wrong. She collects cats but will leave them in the shop if I dont say would you like that?
But she doesnt have the same thing in her lunch every day, well its the same things just some on some days and not some on others, she doesnt freak if we go to school in a different direction. She will if bribed persistetly taste a new food every 3 months or so, but it has to be a tiny bit and she just spits it out and says she didnt like it...even though it would actually make her gag if it was that bad..
Dont know if I should go to this appointment or give it up for someone else. Is this just her or is there something wrong?
She has a sister who is a ray of sunshine and a breath of fresh air in comparison.

[BlossomHill]

Hi Charliecat - I would say yes go to the appt. Some of the things you describe sound similar to my dd (who will be 5 in August). My daughter has a speech and language disorder and attends a language unit. My dd finds 2 way conversations very hard and we have to be quite precise/exact when talking to dd about things. My dd is bright as well, but does have some behavioural issues and does need support at school for things like assembly and general day to day stuff. Due to her understanding difficulties.
Anyway again I would say go to the appt. even just to put your mind at rest. Good luck if you decide to go and I would be really interested to see how it all goes.

[ponygirl]

I think you should go, Charliecat, as BlossomHill says, if only to put your mind at rest. You've obviously had some concerns over time and although things are getting better (well done!) it might be helpful to talk it all through with someone who should he able to help. You've got nothing to lose and potentially lots for you and your dd to gain. And you've had to wait for long enough!

[charliecat]

Well rang the woman and made an appoiment for June, cant make it to next weeks one. Its an appointment with a community pead and a speech therapist. Will update then, Thanks for your replys.

[BlossomHill]

Goodluck Charliecat, Let us know how you get on!

[Nutcracker]

Good luck CC. My dd2 has a speech assessment next week. If she does what i expect her to do then we'll probably end up being refered to someone else. My dd sounds so like yours.

P.s - Rang Lucy to tell her my house news last week. She was thrilled.

[charliecat]

Thank You Everyone. I will need it as I ramble a lot and am never sure if im answering the question or if ive gone off on a detour gabbering about something else!!!
BlossomHill ive just finished the questionaire you posted on another thread. Results not surprising.
Had a lovely day up until the last two minutes before bed. This is not a usual event by any means...DD1 punched the crap out of poor dd2s face. I eventually got to the bottom of it.
DD2 had laid her scooter down, DD1 had rode her scooter into DD2s scooter so DD1 punched the shit out of her face.
Now thats when I think theres something not connected properly in her brain. How the F* did she think it was DD2s fault? And where the bloody hell did she get the punching idea????????
When i was saying imagine someone punching you in the face she was just looking at me blankly...thats where I have to tell myself theres something not right. Well she cant imagine can she?????????? Which is why shes looking at me blankly??? Oh god knows.
Nutty bet Lucy was chuffed, she knows what its like! Congrat btwxx
Thank you for your message too dinosaur and ponygirl. Hitting the beer now.

[Nutcracker]

Charlie - Do you mind if i ask which thread the quiz was on ??
What you just said about the scooter incident is exactly what my dd2 would do (she is 4).
It's like if i tell dd2 off for something, she will shout Dd1's name and then when she comes she'll hit her.

[lars]

charliecat, just wanted to say go to the appointment you have nothing to loose aftetrall you have waited a long time. From my own experience it does give you peace of mind. larsxx

[charliecat]

www.childbrain.com/pddassess.html here you go nutty

[Soulfly]

I think you should go to the appointment, if only to put your mind at rest. Sorry to hear about the punching episode, it must have been awful for you. But i think you handled it right. hugs charlie, xx

[Nutcracker]

Thanks charlie, i'll have a look.

[charliecat]

Appointment looming, next week, im not going to tell my dd we have an appointment or where we are going. I regretted telling her the first time as id sort of prepared her by saying, we are going here, there will be a doctor bla bla bla and she was really relaxed and if i hadnt told her she would have been all jittery and nervous wondering what was going to be happening next. So im not going to tell her so they see the real her, not the prepared for it her. I am going to take her nursery report and her school report as I really do ramble and at least they could see something on paper that sort of explains what im rambling on about. Is that a good idea?

[coppertop]

When ds1 had his assessment I had similar thoughts and so didn't prepare him in any way. When we arrived at the CDC he of course went to pieces just as the OT came out to say hello. I had to do the usual thing of going back to just before the meltdown and starting again. As soon as I did that he was fine. Despite being with the OT for an hour for the appointment itself, when it came to the case conference at the end of the week she mentioned that meltdown far more than any of ds1's other difficulties so it obviously makes a big impression.

Sounds like a good idea to take as much as you can in writing. I literally (and most embarrassingly ) forgot my own name at ds1's case conference because my mind just went blank.

[InternationalGirl]

Good luck for the appointment next week (I hope your dd performs in her usual way!!) Better knowing what a professional thinks of her behaviour than trying to figure it out yourself. And yes, in my experience write down as much as you can to take with you (maybe even print the beginning of your thread here as a starting point)- I blank too and forget half of what I wanted to say and then they only get half the picture. Good you have some nursery reports to take also because this is other people's experience with your dd too. Hope you get some answers one way or another. All the best.

[charliecat]

To update: We had our appointment and have had a report back saying dd does not have any sort of social communication problem, but she is highly selective as to when she will communicate so she has been admitted to the Speech and Language Therapy caseload as I and the school would appreciate some advice regarding her communicative funtion.
The doctor said we will not be seeing you again, but must have changed her mind after dd totally ignored all of thier cheery goodbyes but said bye when I said "say bye".
DD horrified me the day after the appointment by crying before we got into school saying there was too many people, I jusy thought on no not again, but she seems to be coping ok.