Meltdowns and more...

[Girliefriendlikesflowers]

Hi am hoping someone might be able to help point me in the right direction of getting help/support for my 12 yo dd. She has sensory processing difficulties which were diagnosed about 5 yrs ago, she has always been extremely sensitive and prone to over stimulation/ being over whelmed.

In some areas as she has gotten older she has got slightly better but she still really struggles with containing her emotions, for example if she is disappointed that something she thought was happening doesn't happen she can still have monumental melt downs. These are distressing to witness and obviously distressing for dd who feels she has no control over them.

She struggles socially as well, she has friends but is never invited to anything and often appears to be slightly on the outside of the group.

There are a few other things for example she has recently become very anxious at bedtime, she is currently asleep next to me as doesn't want to fall asleep on her own.

I don't know if it's relevant but she still struggles with things like using a knife and fork as well...

I'm not sure who to turn to for advice and support, she did see the ot for a while due to the Spd but is discharged now, her gp isn't interested.

If you're still reading - thank you 😊

Some books that helped me (and might help you) were:
The Explosive Child
Too Loud Too Bright Too Fast Too Tight
The Incredible 5 Point Scale

Do you think she might be autistic? In which case it's definitely worth writing a list of your concerns and asking the GP for a referral for assessment.

Thank you will have a look at those books, I'm not sure re autism.....

Hi I’m not sure I have answers but a few thoughts..
Asd re the social and emotional with friends and dyspraxia re knife and fork? Have you considered either?
Sorry this is quick as on way to work. It’s very hard isn’t it.x

How is her attention and impulses just as another thought? I see I crossed posts

I suppose I'm seeing the high anxiety, emotional difficulties and edge of social stuff and thinking how closely that matches the experiences of so many autistic girls and women (particularly those diagnosed in later childhood/adulthood). Of course it might 'just' be anxiety (which itself can be cripplingly awful) or 'just' sensory problems (ditto) but the combination of things you describe just sounds a bit close to home (I'm autistic).

Thank you for all your thoughts it's really useful, I did some reading on dyspraxia and quite a few things seem to fit so will def look into that, would also explain why she has always been so accident prone!

I'm not sure about asd, she is able to make friends, is v empathetic and most of the time like a typical 12 yo. I think I will make an appointment with the school senco though to talk through these thoughts and see what she thinks.

Thank you all again ☺

Waiting her attention is fine if she is doing something she wants to do for example she spent 3 hours Ystd putting a new lego set together, her teachers say that she struggles at school sometimes though and there is some 'huffing' if she finds something difficult!

I would say impulses are fairly typical...