Hi, I am feeling the need for extra help with our 7yo daughter, Sydney. After a few years of seeing something was "off", but not being able to tell what it was, we finally got a diagnosis of Sensory Processing Disorder this past summer. She is an extreme sensory seeker. She is in private OT now, which is helping. We just got her approved (ETR complete, IEP upcoming) for an IEP under speech disability. That opens the door for her to get some other therapies and accommodations that can help with her SPD, but speech disabilities get corrected, then she won't be eligible for IEP services. I completed an autism screening (per my request) as part of the ETR. Per my responses, Sydney is "at risk" for autism spectrum disorder, but it is very murky and borderline. If she is autistic, it is at the high-functioning/Asperger's side of the spectrum.

I'm not sure what exactly I'm looking for right now. Actually, what I have been wishing for is a similar aged little girl with similar issues that lives near us that would needs a friend as much as Sydney does that we could foster a friendship between. While I am fairly confident that we can help her get around any academic issues that come up, I am lost as far as we can help her with her social needs. She has twin sisters that are 1.5 years older than she is, she plays with them, but hasn't clicked with anyone at school. She is sad because nobody wants to play with her on the playground. As she and her classmates are getting older, they are noticing that she is extra clumsy, that her clothing is often disheveled, and that she talks funny, and they avoid her. She loves to talk, but has many articulation errors and has pragmatic issues (uses very big words, correctly, is very literal, will repeat phrases over and over) indicative of autism. She gets along very well with adults, but adults are more understanding, and they perceive her as cute and sweet, and they appreciate that she wants to do well and has a positive attitude. With other children, she does tend to be bossy, argumentative and competitive. Beyond this wish, I don't know what I want.

If you got this far, thank you!