The teacher that would say that a child with PDD or PDDNOS should be in a classroom of other children with the same disorder, doesn't know what she is talking about.
My daughter was diagnosed when shew as 6, in 1st grade. We had always known she was different, and she didnt' begin speaking until she was 3. When she did begin speaking, she skipped the 'baby babble' and was speaking in complete sentences. She had always been extrememly clever in learning how to make things work, or putting things together. She was operating the vcr by herself before she was 2.
She was diagnosed as being PDD NOS (pervasive developemental disorder non othewise specified), which means she falls under the 'autism' spectrum, but is high functioning. She had classic signs, that I didn't realize until she was diagnosed, and I did research. While she was always content to play alone, she also sought out the company of other kids, she was an incredible mimic even at an early age. She never was as affectionate as her older sister,, but from watching her sister, she learned to greet me with a hug, when I would come home. She will now even snuggle with me to watch tv, which hacks off her older sister,,lol.
They do not reccommend seperating children who fall under the autism spectrum,mainly because part of that they are needing is to learn how to 'act' like a kid. They can learn to 'mimic' what is considered 'normal social behaviour' by interacting with other kids. They basically need to be programmed, and the only way that they can learn social interaction, is to be in situations where they can, well, socially interact. If you were to take these kids out, and seperate them, they would only learn from each other, which is not what the psychologists advise. It would be like transfering data from a computer that has no data on it,, or the wrong data, to another computer.
My daughter is 14 now, and we have been very lucky to have had the support thru her school years, of her elementary school staff, intermediate school, and middle school. She has always been mainstreamed, yet modified on her classwork. This modification is to make sure she gets any extra help she may need, altho she is a very independent thing, and ususally doesn't want any help. She has high marks every report card time, and has left speech therapy as of this year. Not of her choice tho, she liked getting to take speech, because she liked the teacher,lol. She had many learning disabilities in her early elementary years, and was unable to read at all until she was in the 5th grade. By the time she was in the 6th grade, her reading level exceeding that of the rest of her 'normal' classmates. Something clicked for her, and she has not slowed down since. She is a very talented writer now, and artist, impressing her art teacher with witty and well drawn comic strips that she does for fun.
She also went from being fairly isolated in her early school years, as most kids her age, had trouble understanding her, so would avoid her. She never let that get to her, and nowadays, she has quite a few friends, who think she is really cool,,lol.
Carriebear, when Danielle was younger, she was obssessed with polly pockets, and used to line all the little 'kits' up like they were a train, and each microscopic piece that each came with, was always with it. She would absolutely freak out if she lost a piece of one of the kits. I can't tell you how many barbie dolls had to be replaced, due to a lost shoe. If it was not perfect, she would get quite distressed. This was until she was 11 or 12, and out of the blue, one day packed tham all away, and said she was now too old for them. I think someone must have said something to her somewhere, that playing with such toys was for much younger kids, because in the decision of giving them all up, she was deciding to be an 'older' kid. It was as if she was doing what she thought she was supposed to do. I only recently gave all those polly pockets kits away,, with her full approval, I waited until I knew for sure that she had actually outgrown any desire for them tho.
Don't let educational professionals who have no experience with kids with PDD try to make you feel there is no hope for your child. It is just ignorance on their part. You are your child's best advocate, but there are actual professional child advocates, who can go with you to meetings at the schools, if you find that it is too emotionally draining. I know I did in the beginning. Remember the school can't do anything, without your permission.
Don't be discouraged, I know that I wouldn't want my daughter to be any other way, than the way she is. It's what makes her unique, witty, intellegent, and see the world in a different way, which helps me see it differently as well.
