I called the geneticist today, no openings until May. We only have one Geneticist in Tucson, ONE! I made the appointment, but I will look into getting an appointment in Phoenix for her, meanwhile, I am still waiting to hear from the Pediatricians office about the ultrasound.
Amanda did not sleep well last night, vocalizing from 2 AM on. She and Kara finally went down for a nap, Meghan and I sat down to do her HS'ing, and she is taking a little break. So I am updating Amanda's blog.
I am asking everyone who adopted from Europe for advice about Amanda's vocalizations, it is so loud and upsets Kara and Meghan; frankly it is wearing thin for all of us. She is held, cuddled, fed, and dry, there is no reason why she should be agitated at all. As soon as she climbs down from our laps, she begins the vocalizing while rocking. I have been picking her up to see if she wants to be held, she will scratch or pinch, and push away, so I know it is not what she wants.
I need suggestions about what to do about it, how did all of you, those who adopted from Europe, help quell this behavior? HELP? Check out Kara's blog for another question on behaviors.
My journey
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On May 31st, I left with my dog Keira from Arkansas headed for Arizona. I
had my job transfered to Arizona and knew I had 1 options for a place to
stay. ...
2 years ago
2 comments:
I hope you can find a geneticist.
I know there is one near I-10 in Phoenix. I will find the name... they are the one I went to.
I hope you can figure out how to help Amanda.
This is self- stimulatory behavior. Because it is self- reinforcing (she gets some sense of pleasure or satisfaction from it) it can be hard to stop. I understand that she resists stopping once she starts, but does she ever rock when she is actively engaged with someone? There are a couple of approaches to decreasing this behavior- you may need to try one for a good week or two to see if it helps.
One idea is to join the behavior- this is a way to incorporate a social aspect to what she's doing. Yep, that means sitting with her and rocking and singing. If possible, take her hands and do it together. It can more gently pull her out of her withdrawal and into a "game". You can look into Greenspan's Floor Time for more information on this approach.
Another idea is to provide other more appropriate kinds of sensory stimulation- bouncing, spinning, swinging, pressure, pushing pulling, etc. An Occupational Therapist who specializes in sensory integration can help with ideas that fit Amanda's profile.
And finally, there is the behavioral approach. Stopping the behavior immediately with "No rocking" and then redirecting to something else. If she accepts redirection, then give some small reward (m&m, tickle, etc).
By the way, applied behavioral analysis (ABA) can be very helpful in teaching kids with autism spectrum type issues. And Floor Time is great in wooing a child into being more socially engaged and playful.
Good luck!
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