Advice or opinions on what you think is going on here.

by Amber
(Texas)

I have a daughter who just turned 2 ten days ago. Her dad thinks she is just quirky, but being a teacher and having an older daughter who did not have any of these issues, I think something is not quite right. At first, I thought she may have some high-functioning autism, but she wa evaluated by a speech therapist who has given her a tentative diagnosis of mixed receptive/expressive language disorder but said that she did not see any autistic characteristics, but I still see some other "quirks" that cannot be explained by the speech problem. My daughter has never liked to be cuddled or given affection. - - Even as an infant, she never wanted to be rocked. She will however, get on her hands and knees and rock her self in her crib. She will also rock her body in her high chair, car seat and on the couch.

-She has a defined space and if you get into it, watch out... You may get slapped. She often does not want to be touched. If you touch her, she will fuss until you are no longer touching her. My older daughter will touch her car seat and Sky will flip out about that.
-She often does not want to hold hands. If she can squirm out of my grip, she will run and I will have to catch her. If I get a hold of her hand, she will just sit or lay down on the ground, until I pick her up, kicking and screaming the entire way until I am no longer holding her.
-She does not like transitions, trying to leave a place is sometimes a big problem.
-She does not like her hair to be brushed. If she sees the brush, she runs.
-She does not mind a bath, but HATES the sprayer when we wash her hair. Cries of "No, no, no" are often heard from the bath tub.
-She does not liked to be kissed or hugged. She will, however, give kisses and hugs, if it is on her terms.
-She also has no problem with eating food or wearing different type of clothing.
-Somedays, these things are not an issue, other times, I cant wait to get out of some place and have actually carried her outside of a playland with no jacket on or shoes on for fear she would hurt herself or I would hurt her trying to fight her to get her jacket and shoes on.
- She HAS to have the hood of her jacket on her head. If it is not on, she fusses and will not cooperate.
- she is extremely independent. If someone tries to put the food on her fork for her, she will either throw the fork down or take off the food and then refuse to eat that item on her plate. She will go as far as to close her eyes and pretend like the person is not there when that person tries to talk to her, but she will respond to other people at the table.
- we often throw our drink or food, sometimes, plate and all on the floor.
- hand-slapping is not effective. It does not seem to phase her at all. She will continue to do what it is she is getting in trouble for even as her hand is getting slapped.
- no emotion at being yelled at or hand-slapping
-if she hurts someone else, it does not seem to register that she hurt them, she shows no emotion
- she often is content to play by herself and gets upset if other children invade her space, especially if she is building blocks
- sometimes, loud noises frighten her, the main sounds are the flushing of pubic toilets and the vacuum cleaner. that will send her running to me with her head in my lap. sometimes, a loud, unexpected noise also scares her. other times, loud noises do not bother her
- she does not do well in large crowds. she is fine with one or two strangers around, but at her 2 year old birthday party, there were 8 other adults, all people she knows, but she would turn her head the other way or not look at them when they talked her. If there is just one other new adult, however, she does not have any problem looking at them and she has fine eye contact with me, her dad and her sisters

I am sorry this is so long, but I am looking for some answers. She can be very lovable and funny some days but very trying other days. Her day care providers have even noticed that she is not quite like the other children in her room.