This is it. Day 1. Today was the first meeting at the Paediatrician with Cailey.
Since she was 4 1/2, she's had some behavioural issues. And social issues. And emotional issues. And attention problems. They've all become much more apparent now that she's started school. So after doing some research thanks to Google, I came up some ideas of what might be going on with her.
Aspergers Syndrome.
Autism spectrum.
Aspergers Syndrome almost described Cailey to a T. There were a few things that didn't quite fit, things that I didn't think were related to Aspergers. She has a tendency to run down the hallway and crash into the couch. She can keep doing this for up to half an hour. She squeaks when she eats. She can't pay attention to things, and she's always very... bouncy. She's like a bouncyball that never stops moving!
The Paediatrician has referred her to a psychologist for full assessment, but he gave us answers. A semi-diagnosis. ADHD and Aspergers Syndrome.
I wasn't surprised to hear this. I've known for a long time that something was not quite right with my little girl. Even when everyone was telling me that she'd "grow out of it" and that she was just immature, I was sure it was more than that. When my mother kept telling me "maybe it's because you give Jackson more attention (her younger brother)", or "maybe you're just not giving her enough attention" or "she's fine, you're just expecting too much", it made me feel crappy. I felt like I was a bad parent, and that maybe it WAS all in my head.
Her teacher, who kept saying "I've taught a child with Aspergers, AND a child with ADHD, she couldn't possibly have either of those disorders".
NOW we have answers. Now we just have to wait for the psych assessment, and then we can take it from there. In the meantime, I'm researching social stories, and anything else that might help Cailey.
