Did you have any concerns before they brought it up?
Yes, I have always felt she was behind socially. Never ever been interested in other children, and will ignore adults who are passing and say hello, how are you to her if she does not want to reply to them. Sometimes I cannot put my finger on it, but I have felt she was different since she was about a year old.
How is she at following instructions?
Fine, she can follow a 3 step instruction e.g can you go and get your cereal from the cupboard, put it on the table, then get a bowl and spoon?
She sometimes has selective hearing though (mostly at bedtime) if I want her to do something she does not want it. I felt this was normal.
How is her diet?
Pretty good, she has a sweet tooth and has become more fussy over the last 6 months, but only in as much as she has gone off some veg she used to like.
How well does she sleep?
She finds it hard to wind down, even though we have a good routine, which she makes excuses not to follow every night. She chats to herself for a long time before dropping off, making up stories and stuff. She also still wakes on average once in the night requiring reassurance from me to get back to sleep. She naturally likes to stay up late and sleep in late, if I let her. Which I don't because of preschool.
Does she pretend, or copy scenarios?
Yes, she loves to pretend. She has watched her cousin playing a game on the computer (called Pikmin) and now likes to pretend her toys are from the game and rescues people and whatnot. She loves to play shops, build houses in her duplo and play families. She is better at pretend play using toys than pretending she is someone else herself though (does not really like dress up for example).
What is her favourite toy/game/past time?
Not sure she has one, she does love technology, playing games on the Cbeebies site with me, but she equally loves board games like snakes and ladders, craft activities, being outside and doing very normal boring things like shopping or helping cook or wash the car.
What are her self help skills like? (Dressing/cutlery/teeth/toileting etc)
Not bad, she is hypermobile so might have taken longer with some of these, but she goes to the loo by herself as long a she can reach to get on the seat (I always check she is clean after a poo, as she needs practice with this), and can dress herself with minimal help (will get things on backwards, and still cannot do socks). Brushes own teeth, but prefers to chew the brush, feeds herself, but likes me to blow on her food first if it is hot. Can be messy at the table if it is soup or something like that. Does not use a knife.
Is she very good at anything?
No, I do not think she is outstanding at anything in particular, unless you include winding me up?
What does she find hardest?
Her hypermobility influences this, so gross motor skills like scooting on her scooter she finds hard. I think it goes back to the social skills thing mainly though. She clearly finds it hard to know how to interact with other children. She does not speak to them very much, if she wants to play she kind of just goes up to them and invades their personal space, grinning, or trying to give them a kiss, or trying to chase them to initiate play. You can see her watch groups of children like she has never seen anything quite so baffling in all her life. She genuinely looks confused. I am relating this from children's parties, and the waiting room which we all gather in for 5 to 10 minutes before Preschool opens so it is a narrow snap shot. It makes me sad though because she talks about wanting friends, and asks me if people are her friends, and also role plays with her toys about friendship ("Polar bear is very sad because his friend is lost. Oh, its ok, Miss Dolly has found him! They are happy now.." etc). She mostly plays alone when other children are around though, or if they come to the same toy as her, she will let them use it at the same time, but not interact with them at all.