why did they ask me these ques.....
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| Fri, 09-23-2005 - 8:02pm |
Hi again,
My DD's EI teacher asked me some questions that I'mnot sure I really 'get'
she asked if my DD notices when I leave the room - especially in an unfamiliar place.
She does - and gets upset - is that a bad thing? Don't all kids get upset when they don't see thier parents in an unfamiliar setting?
she asked if my DD "seeks and initiates contact with other adults (strangers and friends/family).
Why is that important? I've tried to teach my kids to stay away from adults they don't really know
she asked if my DD is bothered by running water or her bath
I thought this was a very strange ques - she LOVES water and her bath.
she asked if she will play with one toy for 10 minutes and then move on to another.
she asked if she reaches for me when she is hurt or upset, or even to get picked up from her crib.
they asked me about 100 questions today - but these are a few that I didn't get why they were asking - or what they were really looking for - lol
TIA!!!

I think they were looking for red flags for autism honestly.
The crying when you walk away. Well it isn't unusual for a child with autism to do one of 2 things. Either to not notice or really care that the parent has left or conversely to tantrum terribly. Some have severe stranger or separation anxiety. My son did. It is normal for a child to cry for a bit or try to problem solve and seek you out. It would not be normal if she never notices you leaving. Or conversly to completely freak out for a long time everytime you leave her someplace known like a grandparents.
Second one, they likely want to know if she can generalize some of the social skills with other people. Autistics have a hard time with generalizing. They may be able to do something with mom but not others. She may be shy of strangers but will she initiate with her grandparents, your adult friends, etc. Most 2 yo's are not going to understand stranger danger yet but they may be shy with strangers. I would be interested in how she behaves with other known adults.
Lots of autistics are bothered by running water and baths. It is a sensory thing. They may obsess on the running water. They may hate having thier hair or face washed. They may hate the water. They may insist on the water being really cold or hot. They may have no sense of the water temp and jump right into scalding water. Both my boys hate warm water. It has to be ice cold. They hated as babies water over thier head. For months at that age, maybe over a year, baths were a huge tantrum for Mike. It got to the point where while he was tantruming I would just stand him in a tub with little water and wash him best I could and get him out.
Trust me the water question isn't odd if you ever lived with it. All 3 of my kids with troubles HATED hair washing. We still have a variety of bath/shower issues.
As far as the toy for 10 minutes they want to know is she can attend for a bit but isn't obsessing on a toy. This is the same thing we talked about in the obsession thread. Some kids with ASD won't focus on any toy and just wander around from one activity to the next but don't know how to play with anything. Others will obsess on one thing for an abnormal amount of time.
The reaching for you i think is on the MCHAT. Kids with autism often won't reach or look for thier parents when they are hurt or upset. Even the other day my son had his finger shut in a door. He is 9. He just paced and ran up and down the hall screaming. It was bleeding and that freaks him out. MOst children would go to find mom right away. My typical child does that but I had to go find him. and it wasn't easy because he kept pacing and moving away obsessing and freaking. Then he can't be consoled either.
HTH explain things.
Renee
thank you so much for those honest answers!!
My DD does cry for a second when I leve her for a minute - or she can't see me in a new enviorment - but she comes and looks for me, and then is fine, no tantrums ever.
She is kind of weird with strangers - if I am talking with someone and they don't seem tonotice her - she makes herself noticed my either trying to play with thme 9 peek-aboo) or just saying HI until thel fuss over her - then she seems happy. She has a little stranger anxiety, if somone gets real close to her that she does not know - and gets inher face - she will either cling to me, or get upset for a second - then gets over it. My other vert NT dd (4) has always had severe stranger anxiety - but goes to preschool this year with teachers she has never met and LOVES it.
She loves her bath and water - although, is not happy when I wash her hair - she doesn't really cry - she just fusses when I am rinsing. m She does like when the water is running - she likes to play with it - - strange??
She will play with a toy she really lieks for 10 min or so - then if I take it away - she will move on to another w/o much fuss - - but sometimes comes back looking for her favorite.
Thanks again for those answers - I didn't want to ask them ' WHY are you asking me this stuff" lol
They are asking just because she is around 2 and has the language delays. regular pediatricians do a autism screening on toddlers or should be.
There is alot of evidence on early intervention and autism. There is a huge push to have children identified early. I think they were probably using this as a screening tool to make sure they shouldn't evaluate her further.
I wouldn't read into it that they are seeing autism. If you are worried, ask them
Renee
Some of these are quite relevant and used on tests of autism. A few are probably concocted by the teacher or others in her school. Not to put myself above others who might answer, but I am a psychologist and used to use these types of tests in my last 2 jobs.
1) Does the child notice when I leave the room - especially in an unfamiliar place.
She does - and gets upset - is that a bad thing? Don't all kids get upset when they don't see thier parents in an unfamiliar setting?
This question relates to research on Attachment. Many autistic kids show poor attachment, which is demonstrated by not particularly caring if the parent leaves the room in a strange place. If your DD notices when you leave and protests, this is a good thing, regarding her adaptability as an autistic or non-autistic child.
2) Does the child seek and initiate contact with other adults (strangers and friends/family)? Why is that important? I've tried to teach my kids to stay away from adults they don't really know.
Again, this question relates to attachment research. If a child is securely attached, he/she should be wary of strangers and NOT indescriminately go around initiating contact with them without social referencing a parent first. If your child is wary of strangers and acts shy around them, gets close to you, etc., this is again a good thing.
3) Is the child bothered by running water or her bath? I thought this was a very strange ques - she LOVES water and her bath.
This is one that the teacher may have come up with herself because it is too specific. Kids with ASD's do show sensitivity issues, but they show many varied issues, not just sensitivity to running water. Unless your DD showed sensitivity to running water in the classroom, it doesn't make much sense to use this as an indicator of her sensory functioning.
4) Will the child play with one toy for 10 minutes and then move on to another?
This sounds a little too specific to me, and I have not seen it on any inventories before. The 10 minute interval is what I am suspicious about because NT kids vary quite a bit on this sort of thing. I think what the teacher is trying to get at is whether your DD perseverates (spends too much time obsessing with repetitive play) over toys, which is a typical trait of autism. This question may also be looking at transition behavior, which many ASD children do not do well.
5) Does she reach for a caregiver when she is hurt or upset, or even to get picked up from her crib?
This is a question that is commonly asked when someone wants to see if your child uses nonverbal communication. Kids with ASD's usually do not use nonverbals and at very young ages, they typically scream or cry with little eye contact when they want to get their needs met. Another common ASD tendency is to become very self-sufficient and go about solving the problem by themselves, ignoring other people who may be nearby.
That's all for me. Hope this helps to clarify.
Suzi
>>I didn't want to ask them ' WHY are you asking me this stuff" lol<<
Just wanting to chime in on this one. I believe that it's REALLY IMPORTANT to learn to ask our doctors and teachers the "why" question. I'm always asking "why" and it's how I've learned so much. Don't be afraid, asking "why" isn't silly - it's sensible.