Expert: James Michael Roan - 10/8/2009

Question
I am writing about my 3.5 year old daughter. She has a speech delay but is making constant progress. She is now using 3- 4 word sentences (asking for things, describing things showing me things, talking to her baby sister) She has a large vocabulary (too many to count). She can answer what where who questions and is working *(slowly) on why. she loves being read to, singing and making up songs. She loves to pretend she is different movie characters, or teachers, pets etc. She also pretend plays with her dolls, kitchen etc. she plays appropriately with trains and cars, blocks etc.She asks what where and who questions. She makes great eye contact with me and family members and people who she is comfortable with. She knows numbers from 1-10, upper and lower case letters, shapes and colors. When excite, stressed or tired her speech can turn into a lot of babble. She started attending public preschool in April of this year when she qualified for speech services and was put on an IEP. She was terrified during the evaluation and would not speak even a word although she knows how. The situation is similar in the preschool the teachers can not get her to comply, she constantly throws tantrums and cries, she rarely takes interest in other kids there. when i pick her up she tells me she is mad but wont tell me why. The preschool is very structured and if the child doesn't want to do something they are forced into it...which given her stubborn streak throws her into a rage. Just yesterday she was made to give high fives to all the kids by her teacher who physically made her do it. She got so upset that while in a tantrum she bit her tongue and wet her panties, she was mortified. As soon as we left she was fine. The kicker is she attends another preschool twice a week with very loving teachers - she doesn't behave like that there. She doesn't always play with the other kids but she will play along side them and doesn't not have crazy fits there. At home she takes interest in things i do, she tends to her baby sister and plays with other kids who come over. She will fuss if i ask her to do something she doesn't want to do but a time out usually fixes tat problem. She is defiantly interested in other kids, she is not able to converse with them too well as her speech is not that of a typical 3.5 year old, and i am wondering if that whats holding her back in developing a true turn taking age appropriate relationship. She is a picky eater, but her repertoire is slowly increasing. She is potty trained. She doesn't want to dress herself much yet and asks me to do it for her.
The public school keeps raising concerns about autism based on her behavior there. While the other school says that she is a perfectly adjusted little girl. Do you think her outbursts are situational due to too much pressure at the school.

Answer
Hi Kate;

Please understand that I do not, at any time, attempt to diagnose or rule out a diagnosis or condition over the Internet.

She is obviously very bright and much of her behavior could be a combination of personality and her environment. It is really hard for me to have an opinion at this point without more information about her verbal and nonverbal communication including her understanding of language. Any odd obsessions or behaviors such as having to close all house and cabinet doors, licking nonfood items, sniffing people, hoarding, very limited interests/obsessions, or an unusual knowledge about a single subject?

Regards,
James

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Bio

James Roan is a certified school psychologist who has been consulting in the areas of autism, Asperger’s Syndrome, and learning difficulties in the United States and in Ireland for over ten years (http://www.jamesroan.com). James earned his M.Ed. in School Psychology and M. Ed. in Adult Education and receives ongoing post graduate training in autism at the University of Washington’s Autism Center. James Roan has traveled to Galway, Limerick, Mayo, Clare, Dublin, Cork, Waterford, and other cities and counties across Ireland assessing children and adults, and consulting with solicitors (lawyers) in defense of children with disabilities. James Roan was the consulting assessment professional responsible for many of the autism and AD/HD screening tools and other content for Access Special Needs.Com. James Roan consulted with the graduate department of the Waterford Institute of Technology in Waterford Ireland in the development of their graduate program for the certification of private autism tutors. James has conducted formal assessments of students in the Autism Unit in the Claddagh National School in County Galway Ireland.