New and i need your opinion
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New and i need your opinion
| Sat, 03-08-2008 - 6:25pm |
I have 3 kids, my oldest DD 8 was dx with AS, when she was 3. After lots of intervention, she is doing quite well, mainstreamed in second year, doing well academically. BUT in the social area she is struggling, to keep friends. Her main issues are conversation. For some reason she can have a normal conversation at home either with me or with her siblings and also with cousins. But at school she is more shy and she will withdraw easily. She never has had a best friend. But she writes stories about being invited to a playdates and been friend of the popular kids in her classroom. When we see her classmates out of the school or in parties, she is either very shy or will try to join , just following, not talking. So I don't know what to do , we don't have other issues, she is nice and a good kid, this year she's been very responsible, she has good grades, except writing, but in general she is doing good. Now my question is I don't know what to do I spoke with a dev. ped. and I don't know If a should re-evaluate to see where is she now, if she has processing issues or language problems, or else. Or I have to go direct to a Speech Pathologist to evaluate her. She was released from therapies a year a go when we moved from Dallas. My husband started his own business, what means own insurance which won't cover nothing. So I don't know what to do. So any suggestion will be appreciated, thanks
Lily
Lily

Does your daughter's school offer a social skills group?
I don't know if this could work for you, but I know that here in Illinois there is a state insurance program for kids. There may be income cutoffs but it might be worth looking into whether your state has a program or not. Just a thought.
Another good source of socialization is thru semi-structured activities like girl scouts or 4H or other organizations. If we weren't so busy after school with therapies, I'd like to get DS into scouting. He's not got any friends to speak of yet.
Find an activity that your DD would like and then pursue clubs and classes in that area. It's easier to talk to people when you have a shared interest - and if it's a special interest, so much the better! LOL
HTH
Drea
Graham
Miles
Anson
It would be great if the schools did more. But sometimes we kind of have to take the bull by the horns too. Josh is in a social skills group in school. But he also made the decision to join a Historical Society club. Plus he stays after school for a homework club. Josh is 13 and I can see him still struggling in the friends department. Mostly because he has a tendancy to turn people off with his over talking and not always giving another kid a chance. Or he just takes things the wrong way. At some point he will figure it out. Good friends though are those who accept him for who he is.
Josh has a better time making friends when he is in a group with similr interests. Like Boy Scouts. Maybe you have a Brownie Troop near by or 4-H club or a religious kids group. Where the groups are small and easy for you daughter to navigate. Usually the kids in the groups are there for the same reasons. I have a friend who has her 8 yr old daughter in a group called Pioneer Girls, because her child is very shy. She fels it does help.
The teacher unless she is asked to look for it won't notice if your daughter is doing well socially but now you brought it to her attention, maybe the teacher can set your daughter up with a buddy. Unfortunately the counselors probably have criteria and budgets to work with so as soon as your child reaches the critera the budget is considered and the next kid in need takes your child's place.
Ask the teacher if your daughter seems to have a girl she tends to hang out with more than another and ask the teacher in helping to facilitate the relationship outside of the school. Encourage phone number exchange..etc.
Rina