<r><FONT font="Times New Roman"><s><FONT font="Times New Roman"></s><SIZE size="3"><s><SIZE size="125"></s>My beautiful daughter Kerstin, what to say, what to say. I love her to pieces but she is more to handle then I ever thought possible. One of the main reasons I joined this forum is to get help in parenting her, since I cannot find any other support or help elsewhere.<br/>
<br/>
- I noticed her “issues” when she was about 1 to 1 ½ years; it is so hard to remember<br/>
- She was never good with people especially men, even as a baby even her father could not handle her. I could never get my family to watch her because of the way she is, other then my sister.<br/>
-She would get upset when she could not have things and cry (ok very typical) but do you know of a child who would cry for 2 hours because she could not have the blocks. I timed it, I recorded it too. <br/>
- She has never given hugs to anyone in the family not even her father my hubby, other then me, I don’t know why. (Oh wait she will hug her older cousin who is 3 years older).<br/>
- She will not talk to people, or look at them.<br/>
- When she was younger she did not start to talk like most children with one word sentences, she talked with full sentences.<br/>
- When she had an “episode” as I began to call it she would grunt, total communication was gone.<br/>
- My daughter gets this Doctor Jekle and Mr, Hyde look; you can tell when she is going to have an episode. It is very hard to describe, but her face contorts and I would swear that my little girl is gone and there is someone else in there. Her eyes look blank and lifeless. She flaps her arms like she is having a spasm and screams. I always would talk to her or yell to try to get her to snap out of it<br/>
- First specialist appointment - Kerstin sat there quietly, he then told me that I was a first time parent and was over exaggerating she could not be that bad, look how pretty she is? I had the video with me but he refused to watch it. He did suggest parenting classes and books.<br/>
- My husband and I did the classes and read the books; we saw a small change in her after several months but nothing major. <br/>
- Second specialist -was told she is a child that needs to be kept busy all the time. So we tried in fall, she was in so many things she was “better” not 100% but some better, BUT my house was a disaster and my younger daughter was getting miserable as Kerstin was getting all the attention and I was broke. I could not keep that up. <br/>
-She is hyperactive and cannot sit still for too long. She cannot sit still while eating dinner, BUT she will sit still for a Disney movie on TV?<br/>
- I have done research and have looked into Bi-Polar, Autism spectrum, and Aspergers syndrome. These seem to relate to a lot of what she does. I “feel” in my “mothers gut or mothers instinct” that something is wrong at times. I can’t explain it, but I worry about her future.<br/>
- I do know I did some wrong, I cuddled, cooed, and tried to explain the world to her, instead of telling her NO.<br/>
<br/>
It feels like this is still not even getting to the heart of what I deal with daily, I can go into more but this is getting long so I have shortened it as I can. I can post more. I am sure I will think of more things as you all ask questions of me. Everyone keeps giving me books to read and every time I do I get upset. It is like everyone is accusing me of parenting wrong that it is MY fault she is this way, and yet my second child is totally opposite to her, she is more like other children. Every time I leave a doctors office I leave crying. So I hope to get some help through these tough years ahead before I loose my mind.<e></SIZE></e></SIZE><e></e></FONT></r>
<br/>
- I noticed her “issues” when she was about 1 to 1 ½ years; it is so hard to remember<br/>
- She was never good with people especially men, even as a baby even her father could not handle her. I could never get my family to watch her because of the way she is, other then my sister.<br/>
-She would get upset when she could not have things and cry (ok very typical) but do you know of a child who would cry for 2 hours because she could not have the blocks. I timed it, I recorded it too. <br/>
- She has never given hugs to anyone in the family not even her father my hubby, other then me, I don’t know why. (Oh wait she will hug her older cousin who is 3 years older).<br/>
- She will not talk to people, or look at them.<br/>
- When she was younger she did not start to talk like most children with one word sentences, she talked with full sentences.<br/>
- When she had an “episode” as I began to call it she would grunt, total communication was gone.<br/>
- My daughter gets this Doctor Jekle and Mr, Hyde look; you can tell when she is going to have an episode. It is very hard to describe, but her face contorts and I would swear that my little girl is gone and there is someone else in there. Her eyes look blank and lifeless. She flaps her arms like she is having a spasm and screams. I always would talk to her or yell to try to get her to snap out of it<br/>
- First specialist appointment - Kerstin sat there quietly, he then told me that I was a first time parent and was over exaggerating she could not be that bad, look how pretty she is? I had the video with me but he refused to watch it. He did suggest parenting classes and books.<br/>
- My husband and I did the classes and read the books; we saw a small change in her after several months but nothing major. <br/>
- Second specialist -was told she is a child that needs to be kept busy all the time. So we tried in fall, she was in so many things she was “better” not 100% but some better, BUT my house was a disaster and my younger daughter was getting miserable as Kerstin was getting all the attention and I was broke. I could not keep that up. <br/>
-She is hyperactive and cannot sit still for too long. She cannot sit still while eating dinner, BUT she will sit still for a Disney movie on TV?<br/>
- I have done research and have looked into Bi-Polar, Autism spectrum, and Aspergers syndrome. These seem to relate to a lot of what she does. I “feel” in my “mothers gut or mothers instinct” that something is wrong at times. I can’t explain it, but I worry about her future.<br/>
- I do know I did some wrong, I cuddled, cooed, and tried to explain the world to her, instead of telling her NO.<br/>
<br/>
It feels like this is still not even getting to the heart of what I deal with daily, I can go into more but this is getting long so I have shortened it as I can. I can post more. I am sure I will think of more things as you all ask questions of me. Everyone keeps giving me books to read and every time I do I get upset. It is like everyone is accusing me of parenting wrong that it is MY fault she is this way, and yet my second child is totally opposite to her, she is more like other children. Every time I leave a doctors office I leave crying. So I hope to get some help through these tough years ahead before I loose my mind.<e></SIZE></e></SIZE><e></e></FONT></r>