5 yr old w/ sensory issues and imagination.

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Hello, I need some input please.

First, I understand noone here can diagnose my child. Just need clarificationof sorts.

My daughter has had sensory issues since she was born. Also, didn't smile unntil 6 months, talk until 2. And a whole list of things that could be normal or on the spectrum. Ido not know.

I want to get her tested just in case she needs help later on. And is on the spectrum.problem is she is very smart, and do#s to well in school atm. Her teacher probably thinks I am nuts. But I asked her to pay attention to her eye contact. Anywsys, there isnt really anyone who sees what I see.

So my question is, it seems she plays fine, but seems she plays"what she knows" for example school. She's alwsys her teacher and teaches the kids in her real class if that makes sense.

House, she plays me.

So how do high functioning autistic/aspergers play? I haven't started paying attention to how she plays until recntly. Seemd she would rather wstch certain shows, and read her books lol. Information on the play aspect would be apprecisted so I know my next steps.

Thanks in advance!

The psychologist who evaluated my son sat on the floor with him with various dolls and watched to see how he played. She initiated some play like by picking up the girl doll and pretending to be the mom and she was looking to see if he would pick up one of the other dolls and be another family member. Of course he did not follow her lead. I think he picked up the boy doll and proceeded to be one of the Star Trek characters. So that's one aspect of play that evaluators look for - reciprocal interaction. At 5, typical kids are able to play WITH each other at least some of the time whereas younger kids mostly play next to each other. Does your daughter always direct the play or does she allow others to take the lead once in a while? Is there any give and take where she builds on the ideas of a play partner?

I've also read and heard that autistic kids don't play with toys in the conventional manner. Given a bunch of toy cars an autistic child might line them up, spin their wheels or have them act out a script from a TV show but not race them around on the floor the way other kids are most likely to do. We see some of this but not to the same degree as other autistic kids I have seen. DS does like to line up his cars but he also likes to race them.

She is a "my way or the highway" person. When her sister doesnt follow her lead, or anybody at home, there is a full blown melt down. But she can play with her siblings to a point. She mostley just collects her toys and is possesive. She just this past year seem to have actually started play/pretend type play.

She is an angel at school. But it is a dual language class, mixed spanish and english speaking kids. Class tsught in 90 per spanish. So not sure how that would show her teacher how she plays, if her and the other kid speak diff languages. If that makes sense.

I may just get her evaluated. I dont want to do the wait and see approach anymore.

You didn't say her age, but I'm guessing she's pretty young.

One thing about young children's social play is that it's not nearly as language-dependent as older kids. Even if they don't speak the language, most kids will just look at the nonverbal behavior and follow their lead in that way.

Preschoolers often don't really 'converse' anyway, they just monologue at each other.

We dont have an offcial dx for my DD5 yet but we strongly suspect AS in her. She is also very bright and other people dont see what I see. People who dont see her as often as me (no one does) think shes very imaginative when she plays, however i can see it is directly copied from real life, she acts out things we have done or she has seen on TV, she also quotes form other people and TV and to some one else it seems genuine. It can be difficult to tell a family member who doesnt see her that often that when she says she loves them its just something she says to everyone, even complete stangers in the street because she has issues with apprpriate language, ie communication problems.She will open the window and shout it at anyone who passes by so!

Teachers have not seen what I see because she hides it well, but when she gets back from school all her anxieties come out in abundance. I have talked with the teachers about everything and they have been great. I have explained that these seemingly imaginative games are directly copied form TV or real life and are frequently repeated, ie she has only a few games she plays over and over again.