DD2 is 9. Her music teacher picked up a problem with her eyesight. We took her for an eye test and she did indeed glasses. But the optometrist said there was "something else going on" and asked us to bring DD back for a longer examination where she did all sorts of tests with her on the computer and also with her handwriting and asked us about school work etc.
After nearly an hour of concentrating very hard DD became what I can only describe as "hyper". The optometrist said she wanted to refer us to a specialist in the 3D's, learning disabilities and autism. She says DD is working so hard to concentrate and process information that her brain starts whizzing and this is why she became so hyper.
I'm not entirely unfamiliar with learning difficulties. DD1 is dyslexic and so we've been through all that. But DD2 is completely different. She is bright (2 years above her age in reading and spelling) articulate, very sociable, she can remember the words of a song after hearing it once. Maths is good apart from tables which she just does not get. No backward bs and ds, 7s and 9s. She is co-ordinated and sporty.
No one at school has picked up on anything wrong except that she did not perform to her ability in her end of year exams and that she must try harder to concentrate.
The optometrist is a specialist in treating children with learning disabilities, we go to her because of DD1s problems. I trust her completely. But I am taken aback that DD2 also appears to have a problem and we haven't noticed!
Now I think about it she has always been very active, finds it hard to sit still or concentrate. Her mind jumps about all over the place. When we are talking she will come out with something completely unrelated because she has thought about something else and her brain has moved on but she doesn't realise the conversation hasn't and we don't know what she's talking about. She is, I think, a visual learner. History comes to life for her. Is artistic and will spend hours walking round an art gallery or museum. She's musical and passes her grades with distinction but she gets bored of books and often doesn't finish them. Over the last year though her writing has got sovsmall it is almost minuscule and she gets so close the page, even with her glasses on, it's almost as if she has to shut everything else out to concentrate.
I asked what was wrong, specifically. If it was dyslexia we would have seen the signs. But the opto just said she doesn't want to label her yet but that we are all "somewhere on the autistic spectrum"
so apologies for the long post but can anyone shed any light on this. Although she has referred us to this specialist centre, it is private, and the cost of assessment is £600. WithDD1 the assessment was done by the LEA.
Does anyone recognise any signs of anything in what I have said- it's a lot of money to spend and I want to be sure it's the right thing to do. It's just the "autistic spectrum " bit that's worrying me really.
By the way she now has coloured layover sheets which I thought were for dyslexia.