hgonzalez 12:43 PM 02-05-2018
I have had a child in my care that has been here for 1 month. She has terrible separation anxiety, she is almost 3. She comes in every morning, screaming and crying. Her Mom is good about bringing her in and leaving her with a photo book and a stuffed animal from home, and leaving promptly. It doesn't help. She cries every time there is any transition, picking up toys time, to a meal, after a meal, moving from one room to another....you name it. While she is crying, she screams if you try to comfort her and screams 'no' to anything you try to do (distraction, new activity, etc.). She probably cries half of the time she is here. She is also extremely tiny, and has a very, very small head with little hair and not to be mean, but she has a thick unibrow. I don't want to sound like I am picking on her, but she just has such a different appearance it makes me wonder if she has a disability. She is verbal, but will only talk to you when she is in the mood.
Something just seems different about this kiddo. She has been in a group care situation with a relative before with around the same number of kids as I have. Normally kids adjust within a couple of weeks, but she just isn't improving. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Unregistered 12:53 PM 02-05-2018
Sounds like Cornelia de Lange Syndrome appearance wise...
What does mom say about the crying?
Ariana 01:44 PM 02-05-2018
Any time a child has this much issue with transitions it usually is a red flag for a developmental delay or disorder. Have you spoken with the mom about how she is at home and how they deal with the issue? Does she only do this at your house?
hgonzalez 05:14 AM 02-06-2018
She has the behaviors across all settings. The Mom is a special education teacher, so it is especially tricky to discuss with her. The child is very bright, just cannot adapt to transitions during our day. She also will not let me comfort her.
I actually did see information on CDLS and wondered. I don't see any other physical issues, but still wonder about this.
Ariana 05:41 AM 02-06-2018
I think you would see other issues besides just transitions if this was a developmental thing. If she is bright and there are no physical problems then it might just be her personality.
I would do my best to ignore the tantrums. By giving extra attention or trying to comfort her you might be making the issue worse. How do the parents deal with it?