New beginnings...

So my husband and I went last Friday to meet with the psychologist about our daughter's "diagnosis". I was nervous and weirdly excited to find out after all this time what he had to say. I just really wanted to get on with things and move in a positive direction instead of the unpredictable path we were on.

So he sits us down and goes over her IQ tests. We were absolutely THRILLED to find out that she is smart! I mean we knew that she had brains but to find out that she tests higher than the average 4 year old was wonderful news!! He said she would have scored even higher but because she could not focus on the rest of the question, she got many wrong just from lack of attention. He spent about 30 mins going over her IQ tests and behavioural tests and then pulled out the ADHD test. The defining moment. I was on the edge of my chair.

He starts pointing at graphs and pie charts and I am still wondering wth he is saying. He is saying she is rating higher in symptoms than other kids. Other kids with what? It was kind of confusing. My husband then said "Is this meaning that she is scoring higher than the average child WITH ADHD?" Yes, that is what he was trying to say.

So she has elevated symptoms in the emotional and impulsivity sections of ADHD. She was officially diagnosed with ADHD and he will send the results to our doctor, preschool and to us. It has answered many questions for me and has put my mind to rest oddly. I was thinking that I was failing her somewhere in my discipline. Was I not being consistent? Do I let things slide? I mean yes, I probably do. I am not perfect. But I am quick with consequences and do not let her get away with attitudes or bad behaviour. The psychologist explained that she is all over the map with her emotions. Could be crying and laughing at the same time. She is unsure what emotion to use in situations and sometimes it will be an inappropriate one. He also told me that ADHD kids, because of this emotion confusion, will get angry when you get angry, mirroring your emotion back to you. Point taken.

So onward we go, googling and reading as much information as we can get our hands on to help us help our daughter. We want her to have a fulfilling life and we know there will be many challenges along the way. He figured that she would do fine until Grade One or Two where she would have to sit for entire days. We are going the no medication route for as long as possible but will not close the door on that option if it will ultimately help her focus and succeed. Only time will tell.

She had her first playdate today with a girl from her class and it went VERY well. Both had a ball and I think she will be back soon. Warms your heart to see your child developing friendships and learning how important it is in this world to have true friends. They are hard to find but worth the wait. :)