I Have a Special Needs Child

C saw the pediatric psychiatrist today. It went...okay. She wasn't happy about a new room, and definitely showed the reason her PCP sent her there.

That reason is anxiety and skin picking. After over 30 (currently) staph infections (boils on bum, neck, and leg) I/we worry about any open wounds. I do stimming 3 times daily during the week, and every 4 hours on the weekend....skin brush, massage, and joint compression. Plus she has her chewies and figits. And her vest. It helps up to a point but she still digs are her skin until she bleeds. I've gone so far as to let her dig at my skin to save hers. Add to that the head banging against walls and doorknobs....well it's hard to watch a toddler, or any child, hurt themselves.

So right now her PCP and 'shrink' are talking over perhaps using buspirone on her. It's supposed to be for children over 6, and we need to see if the benefits are worth the potential side effects.

She is in a class with younger children at her therapeutic daycare centre, and I was a bit surprised to hear that she is the only child in her class that doesn't respond to her name. BUT she has come a long way already. There are constant improvements. I KNOW she can come further. She is finding her own way to communicate with me, and is being taught some sign language (drink, eat, more, etc) and catching on quickly for that. She can make all the sounds needed for speech and I'm sure SHE knows what she's saying. I just need to learn HER language. And by gawds I will.