Was it this? http://store.fhautism.com/p-291-bthe-gentle-gecko-a-weighted-sensory-toyb.aspx With scents I would suggest getting natural oils from a health foods store. Citrus scents are good for a lot of people. At all costs avoid the scented products sold at the grocery store as they can be really hard for people with any kind of allergies or sensitivities.

That is very stressful and scary. I'm wondering if he's met with a dietician or taken a class in diabetes from a local hospital. Any chance something like that might help?

That's true. One thing to consider is if the schools she might apply to for fall are selective and if scholarships are important. One transfer is no big deal, two can raise concerns. Community college won't count as a transfer because that's a common spring move after a college doesn't work out, but planning to start a third four year college in the fall may be more problematic.

Yes, I agree with this. The Spring at home would give her time to heal and to make plans. It sounds from your posts like the college was a total mismatch, but also that your daughter could maybe use some support in developing healthy ways to cope with academic and social stresses and pressure too. College recognize that sometimes a students choose a college that isn't a good fit. Spring at a cc and starting some new college in the fall is a known and understood approach. On other hand transferring to another university in the spring and another again in the fall - that could be a real red flag. Also, I think it is just way too much change to cope with, especially for a student who has had a rough fall. The choices in housing may be really limited midyear and you are at a greater risk that the open housing may be something another student has rejected for a good reason. You've got a great idea to give her more time to really shop for colleges and to expect that she go on an overnight visit to see if the environment will be a good fit for her needs.

You might find these resources helpful. http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/EJ860954.pdf http://www.amazon.com/Misdiagnosis-Diagnoses-Gifted-Children-Adults/dp/0910707677/ref=tmm_pap_title_0/175-4207128-0638224

That's huge! Congrats!

Sorry if I've missed the answer to this question if it has already been posted. I'm wondering if your daughter has gone to talk to the dean or to residential life staff (not her RA, but actual staff) and if they know how desperate her situation is right now. Do they know she's really struggling with the noise and commuting because she can't sleep on campus? If she hasn't talked to them I would strongly encourage her to do so. There may be some solution that we can't think of as outsiders.

Perhaps this would be a good time for conversations about friendship. Stuff like: what are characteristics of a good friend, how do you handle it when people say stuff that is unkind, what qualities do you look for in a friend, etc. While certainly you don't want her to hang in a situation where she's being hurt, I think it makes sense to try to use this as an opportunity for her to get the experience thinking through different situations and making choices about what works for her.

Perhaps it would be helpful to make a distinction between two categories. The first would be really unacceptable stuff: keg parties in the dorm, sex while the roommate is there, condoms on the floor, property damage like punching walls, violence of any kind, etc. The second category would be stuff that is bothersome but perhaps not morally wrong: staying up late chatting or "pulling all nighters" before a big exam, squealing and hugging your friends when you see them even though it has only been since yesterday, ordering pizza late at night, being goofy and loud sometimes, etc. I really sympathize with students who feel stuck in the first kind of situation and I think it is worth exploring alternative living options. The second situation though, I think is just more a part of dorm living and life around young people. I don't think it is evidence that people have been poorly parented. Aside from a handful of religious colleges offering very high levels of supervision, I don't think realistically students are going to avoid the second category of behavior while living in most dorms. So, knowing that I would suggest the student explore whatever options she can including: white noise machine, earplugs, support from student support services, getting a single room, moving off campus, etc. But, with that I would really encourage a student not to cut herself off from other people who happen to be more extroverted or louder. Some of them may end up being good friends.

That's so frustrating. It is hard when you've got a good therapist and you lose them.

I agree with all these suggestions. Finding like minded people and building a group of supportive friends are key. While quiet, serious kids may not be in the majority they are certainly out there at every school. Campus groups are a good way to find these peers. Also, if there are mental health concerns seek out regular counseling and support. It is not uncommon for students who had smaller difficulties to find they are closer to crisis as they negotiate the college transition. It can be a difficult time of life for a lot of people.

Traveling for visits is expensive and it isn't always realistic. If she hasn't already been on college campuses it might be helpful to visit similar types of schools in your area if that's an option. So, one big state school, one small private and so forth. That can give students a better general idea what it feels like to be on different campuses.

There are many ways to do a transcript. As long as you indicate your scale (like 93-100=A or 90-100=A) it doesn't really matter how you do it. While some high schools do include percentages (like 95%) instead of letter grades, that isn't universal and I don't think most colleges will think anything of it. Most college transcripts do not have percentages.

Most people do not pay "sticker price" at private colleges. I would suggest looking at the net price calculators on the college websites and seeing what sort of discounts or scholarships she might get. For me the key consideration wouldn't be that she wants to be a teacher because the reality is that the vast majority of students change their majors anyway. You could agree to pay for the private university with the idea your kid is premed only to have her change to social work down the road. As soon as possible, I would encourage you to calculate what you can afford and are willing to pay and to share that information openly and honestly with your daughter. The earlier in the process that this can happen, the better.

The ACT is shorter and the writing is optional, so if attention span or endurance are concerns it may be a better choice. The ACT math goes a bit further than the SAT math but it is overall less tricky. The ACT has a science section and the SAT doesn't. That science section is largely about the ability to read charts and graphs more than really being about science content. The SAT penalizes wrong answers (very slightly) and the ACT doesn't. SET requires over 700 before age 13 on either math or verbal on the SAT and the ACT can't be substituted. Those are really quite rare scores though so unless he's highly gifted I wouldn't weigh that heavily. The ACT and SAT for talent search are equal as far as the chance for recognition or scholarships.

Some resources that worked well for us - not free but your library may have some of these (and some of the others you can probably get older editions for pretty cheap). Books by Martin Gardner and Ian Stewart. Teaching Company courses. - Joy of Mathematics is good and there are many others. Thinkwell courses with Dr. Burger (he's on some of the TC courses too). This book http://www.amazon.com/Crossing-River-Dogs-Problem-Students/dp/1931914141 Yes, it is supposed to be a college level book but there are problem solving portions that would certainly be appropriate for middle schoolers. Just as an exploratory thing he might want to search for free fractal drawing software online. That can be fun to play with.

Congrats!

The stakes are big enough that it might be worth contacting the Department of Education to get the definitive answer. http://www.floridastudentfinancialaid.org/ssfad/bf/homepac.htm

It is important to realize that the decision to medicate is a totally separate one from deciding to get an evaluation. There are many treatment options available once you've got a diagnosis and medication is only one of those. You are the parent and getting the diagnosis doesn't take away your decision making power. You still have the power to decide if and when you want to disclose that diagnosis and to decide what treatments to pursue. It can be upsetting to go through all of the developmental inventories and realize there are many areas where your child struggles or is behind. One little exercise that I've suggested is that before the evaluation you might want to also make a list of your child's strengths and positive traits. You can keep it for yourself or you can share it with the evaluators. While the purpose of the evaluation is to find out the areas of struggle, it is important to remember those take place in the broader context of your child and that he also has many strengths too and those strengths will help him compensate. Don't be afraid to learn about the weaknesses, but always keep in mind his strengths too.

It depends on the age of the child and the sorts of problems they are exploring (fine motor, gross motor, sensory). Likely you will be given developmental history forms to fill out. The OT will take your child through standardized tests which could be anything from drawing a circle, stepping up stairs one at a time, throwing a ball, etc. It really just depends on your child's age. We've had good luck with OTs be nice and good with interacting with kids and I hope it goes well for you too.

Please don't be hard on yourself. It is the reality that often the first doctor doesn't get stuff like this. The fact that you've got some test results will make the next step easier as some possibilities may have been eliminated. In addition to the lab results I would go ahead and get the forms to request his complete medical records. It is your legal right to have them and with a child with a complex medical history it is a really good idea to get a copy of it.

Good for you for advocating to find answers for your son's pain. Sorry for missing the back story. Did they test him for Celiac's or gluten intolerance? You mentioned he has hypotonia, does he have a diagnosis that explains the hypotonia? If not, I'm wondering if you've at all explored metabolic problems including mitchondrial disease as a possibility.

Of course it is going to depend a lot on the child and on their abilities. What worked best for us was to do a combination with a little bit of a lot of different stuff. Typically that included one online course (sometimes free sometimes for a free), one college course, parent led, self directed courses - set up by mom and minimally supervised but mostly the student working on their own, meeting with unpaid mentors, and using community resources such as clubs, etc. It was through this balance of different approaches that we found something that was affordable and felt good. Any more than one or two online courses a semester and it felt lonely and frustrating at our house, but kids are different on this.

I'm curious, these people who are discouraging you from going to community college, what are the reasons they give? It sounds to me like you've really thought about what you want and that you understand how community college can help you get there. I'm wondering if their reasons are even based on good information and either way why they think they deserve a vote about YOUR life. The reality is that community colleges are a great way to complete or get started in higher education. They are affordable and often have career programs that are appealing to students. More and more community colleges also have very good agreements with state universities which allow for students who want to go on to a four year degree to fully transfer their credits. I would encourage you when you go to visit to set up time to talk to an adviser to really understand what is required to complete your associate's degree and also to know your options if you decide you want to go on for a four year degree after.

Yes, this is a really important point. Also, some states that offer financial aid do so on a first come first served basis. They may run out of funds a month or two after the FAFSA needs to be filed so filing right away is a good idea. If your students is looking at selective colleges or wants to maximize their chance of merit aid, it is not a bad idea to have some APs in before senior year so admissions can see that they've been taking a rigorous course load and doing well.