DD is 6 (will turn 7 in early Autumn) and in Year 1 at school. Over the past two years she has really struggled with friendships in particular and I'm starting to wonder whether there is perhaps something else going on. It's really hard to try and differentiate between is this all 'normal' for her age or if she perhaps needs some additional help or support. For context she has a twin sister who is a real social butterfly and the pair of them get on very well with neither of them being more dominant than the other within their relationship.
- She doesn't appear to have any specific friends. School tell me she plays with the other children but DD's perception is she spends every playtime alone (slightly different now due to bubbles)
- she attends after school club at her former nursery with a mixture of children some of whom she has known since she was a baby but again doesn't seem to be able to identify any specific friends and when asked who she plays with she says the nursery staff.
- she found phonics incredibly difficult to learn and struggles with blending words. She almost point blank refuses to sound out words as she wants to be able to just read them like the other children. She is in a very small class at school and is very conscious of being the weakest reader.
- She can not cope with losing and has a raging tantrum if she loses when we play games at home. We constantly try to model positive behaviour around losing.
- When meeting with family friends with children the same age she always prefers to play alongside the younger ones whilst all the children her age charge around together
- she is hypermobile
- very sensitive to noise
- she is a real worrier and very sensitive
- her interests are typically that of a younger child eg she's still very in to Paw Patrol.
I'd really welcome people's thoughts on the below (and am equally happy to be told I'm being neurotic!).
