Have you been waiting a long time to get answers for your kid? Wondering if anything will help?
This is a common story we hear at CLEAR. “I had concerns when my child was young, our doctor said wait-and-see, years later we had an evaluation but they didn’t really find anything and now I’m here meeting with you and I’m still looking for answers.” This is happening 2 years later, 4 years later, 8 years later.
Hear the full story below:
I’m frustrated. There is something different about my daughter. She is wonderful, bright, and organized. She thinks she is the boss of the family, in fact. She loves to tell the whole family what to do. She plans trips and game nights, hands out surveys about how to celebrate the holidays, but yet she is a little bit different. They don’t see her bossiness and rigidity too often in school, but at home it is a different story.
Last week, she threw a rather inappropriate tantrum in the living room because she didn’t want to watch the movie everyone else picked. Her tantrum was elaborate and long, but two days later, that movie is her new favorite.
She yelled and cried when I shared a different suggestion for how to do her virtual science assignment, yet she hasn’t asked her teacher to clarify the work when they were in virtual class.
I can tell she’s got some sensory sensitivities. She can be hyperactive and have trouble with focus, and she hides from strangers and often rocks or paces.
Despite all of these things, despite the huge impact on our day-to-day life, psychologists and doctors who have worked with my bright and adorable daughter say she is totally typical. I just really suspect that there is something else going on.
I’ve done my research and learned about girls with autism, about ADHD, and how many bright girls can often mask some of the symptoms. We waited months to see some doctors and psychologists who said, “She’s fine,” or “She’s really sweet, and kind and wants to be social,” or “She can play really nicely in our waiting room.” They dismissed our concerns without offering an explanation. So, now, I’m wondering, “But what do I do next?!”
I was thinking “this is probably autism” when she was four, and we got nowhere. I remember thinking, “Yes, she is gifted and wonderful, but these tantrums are big! What about the sensory sensitivities, the attention, the bossiness? How do we help her?” We tried another doctor, another therapy, but still we had no answers, no progress. Now, she is 8-and-a-half! Should I trust another psychologist, another doctor? Will this help?
At CLEAR, we value the parent perspective, we get to know your child, and we explain the symptoms you are concerned about. We offer clarity and guidance to families who have sometimes waited a decade to get answers.
After working with us, families have said
- “I knew this, but I feel validated now. Now I have the evidence to share with others, the information that might get her help.”
- “You’ve given an explanation for the symptoms we see, for the things we have always seen and been confused by.”
- “Now my teenager knows who he is, he understands why he is a bit different, he has found his crowd and he fits in. He fits in for being different.”
- “We told the school. We made a plan. Therapy has helped. We are in a better place.”
It is validating for families to be heard and to have their questions answered and the symptoms they see explained. It is a hard journey to have to wait years to really get answers to the questions about your child.
Book a FREE Discovery Session today to get started with answers for your family.
