So, if sensory issues seem likely, you could see about getting an evaluation with an occupational therapist who could confirm that suspicion, get you a diagnosis of at least that part of the picture, and-- most importantly-- help you figure out how to satisfy that need for sensation. There's equipment you could get, like spinning platforms for vestibular input, or soft weighted balls to throw, or all kinds of other stuff. It's at least partly a matter of being able to figure out, "oh, she needs *this* sort of input." Then if you can provide that, in a way that's safe and planned, maybe she can calm down a little. Or maybe not, lol. I agree she sounds super smart. If you get any sort of diagnosis at this stage, that might open the door to early intervention, which might get you a little help. Around here there are special preschool options which are fully funded, like public school. That might be good for her and give you a break.

For years dh has had recurrent respiratory and sinus infections which can get very bad, requiring multiple courses of antibiotics and weeks out of work. He noticed a significant reduction in their number and severity after his doctor told him to get a pneumonia vaccination, even though he never actually got a pneumonia diagnosis. He's been recommending the vaccine to others.

Could she have sensory issues, and be seeking sensory stimulation?

You are singing my song.

Dawn, I get it and I'm sorry. I hope things work out for the rest of the spring. Like Kassia, we have our own versions of this, though my girls are a bit younger. 8FillTheHeart, thank you. I needed to read that.

The Dinosaur Hunters fills both science and history categories, and is a fascinating story with some interesting characters. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1857029631/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1552095793&sr=8-4 Maybe he'd enjoy one of Amy Stewart's books on plants. The Drunken Botanist hits both gardening and beverages, while Wicked Plants covers poisons. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1616200464/ref=dbs_a_w_dp_1616200464 https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1565126831/ref=dbs_a_w_dp_1565126831

I'm sorry to hear that. We've used Nexguard for 2-3 years, mostly during warm months and into the fall. It's worked well, and I haven't seen any neurological issues, but now I'll have to think through the risks and benefits again. My biggest concern has always been that I want to minimize toxicity not just for our dog, but for dd as well, since her face *will* end up in the dog's fur. So, topical treatments and collars just seem riskier to me, though I'm not sure that's accurate.

She may already be reading the Pern books-- isn't Dragonwatch one of them? And I wouldn't intentionally introduce her to those yet either, but I think the more mature bits might fly past an 8yo without being noticed. Not possible with the Robin Hobbs books. As an adult I love both series, but not for 8yo's.

I don't remember details from Dragon Keeper, but I went through all Robin Hobb's books a few years ago, and some do have fairly graphic depictions of pain, physical and emotional. There may be TeA-related content in the Dragon books, not sure, but I think there is in her other books. At one point I remember a foreign ruler is trying to get Dragon flesh, and his thugs slice bits off of a human-turning-dragon while keeping him alive for the purpose. These books are not ones I'd pick for that age. You could pre-read if you have it on hand, I remember them as engrossing, quickly read fantasy-- better than I've made them sound here!

While rabies is rare overall in U.S. cats, that's not true for every region. A few years ago bil was bitten by a (probably feral) cat who did turn out to have rabies; fortunately animal control quarantined the cat and he got rabies shots. He was told rabies was a problem among feral cats in his region. So, it matters where the op is. Feral cats (or raccoons, foxes, bats, possums, ...) could tangle with a pet cat who managed to slip out of the house one night, and they could transmit rabies. Most likely the cat is fine. But since the owner is not entirely reliable and the potential consequences are deadly, I'd report this to animal control and/or the health department. Do whatever you need to do to make sure someone other than the owner is able to monitor the cat. I'd be okay with it being quarantined at home, but I'd want a professional to make sure it was healthy at the end of the confinement period.

Chicken or beef stir fry with rice Chicken breasts, rice and broccoli or green beans Roast beef (just avoid gravy thickened with roux-- maybe use cornstarch instead), mashed potatoes and broccoli or green beans. https://www.bonappetit.com/test-kitchen/how-to/article/gluten-free-gravy

I'm mostly with Pen. Calling seems the safest bet. But, if you have a sunny window, that could also work; just realize that it would then come out of dormancy, so you'd need to wait until warm weather to move it outside.

This. So, do I understand that the administration made you go but won't give you the authority to discipline? I would be burning. I mean... smoke visibly coming out my ears. I hope you really, really love the job in general.

This is what I thought of. My dd with ASD had some trouble with the less commonly used verb tenses until she was maybe 10 or so, as well.

Hugs, Teaching3Bears. I hope you can find some help for your boys and for you. I'm sorry about the colds, illness doesn't help anything. When I mentioned your health I was thinking in a more wholistic sense, though: more that so much stress has to be hard to deal with, and sometimes I find I need to put on my own oxygen mask first, kwim? And while I do have a dd on the spectrum, I'm not dealing with anything remotely like you are. So, you might need some stress relief too. What prairiewindmomma said, in other words. More hugs and best wishes.

I'm glad he's feeling better today. Investigating the laughter more, with videos and a new neurologist, might be worthwhile. I wish I could offer help in person. You're carrying such a heavy load. Would school enrollment be an option, perhaps? It would at least get you a few hours daily to care for yourself. Your health is important. So many people depend on you.

Yes, I think you're right. Classic asd thinking. Which illustrates just how much asd can interfere with thought processes.

Thank you. This is a big help.

We're going back to the schools, thinking of enrolling dd14 (ASD) for high school next year, so I'm trying to figure out if this is what I need to ask for in an evaluation. Dd14 has a hard time telling me about things like, say, a science experiment at her co-op class. She tries to brush off the question ( "What did you do?" " I don't know, stuff.") And-- that sounds like normal teen who isn't interested in talking about her class. But if I probe more, she has a really hard time knowing and/or explaining what the purpose of the experiment was and how it unfolded, beginning, middle, and end. She gets fed up and angry with the questions before I get any real sense of what happened, and I think her anger is at least partially because this process is hard for her. So, is the Test of Narrative Language what I want? And, next: what am I seeing in this scenario? Dd was taking an open-book science quiz. The book shows several types of maps geologists use: topography, climate, etc. The question asks "What types of information can a geologist get from a map?" Dd, very frustrated , says "Which map? They don't say which one!" She rejects the idea that the question meant maps in general , and insists that it must mean a particular map. Is this failure to generalize? What would you want to see happening in school to address this? Lots of practice generalizing, I guess, lol? I want to make sure I ask for the right things, and I'm starting to go nuts trying to get things ready.

Completely understandable. Anyway, it's nice to see you.

Yes! I was wishing for your insight on Brexit on the politics board recently. @Laura Corin

You say "this poor girl"-- so is she an adult? If not, I probably wouldn't pursue this at the moment. Assuming she is an adult, well, she already was working on the assumption that her father had issues, right? So, different father, different issues maybe (alcohol vs. drugs), but still issues. She still seems interested in knowing him. If she has a very small family, she might like a cousin, regardless of what happens about her father. Do you have any feeling for whether you'd like to know her better? These situations sound so hard to navigate, and I really have no idea what the best course is. I hope you can find a path that seems right for you, this girl and her father.

Thank you! So, do you (or others) think a week is too long? Or just plenty of time to relax as well as explore? It looks like such a lovely city. I'm also kind of interested in driving up to Tadoussac for a chance to see whales, but that looks like it's too long to be a day trip, so maybe a night or two.

Thinking about a trip this summer... How long would you want to stay in the city? We'd be interested in history, architecture, restaurants, just soaking up atmosphere. I'm envisioning a week, but we could potentially spend more time in the city, or we could spend some time in other areas. We've never been there, or to Quebec at all. Anyone with experience want to chat?

Could you talk with the powers that be, explain the situation, and see what they say?