September 8th, 2009

We've been having a lot of obsessive behavior lately, it's got me concerned a bit. I'm waiting for a call from Bette to talk about it. On the other hand, she has had her hand and fingers exploring her mouth area. She never touches her mouth with anything, but I've noticed she has her hands and even some objects touching her mouth and lips. She still can't spit things out, so she can't eat anything that won't eventually dissolve in her mouth. She loves popcorn, but she collects the parts that don't dissolve in her mouth and I have to fish it out. The good thing is that I can now brush all of her teeth now. I'm so happy about that. If you know anyone who has a problem with a toothbrush, I highly recommend the Wisp toothbrush. It's a disposable toothbrush made by Colgate and it's super small. You have to take the ball of toothpaste out of the middle though, it's way too strong for a child. We're making baby steps of progress, but it's progress just the same. I think we are on the verge of something big, and that some of the behavior is her staying in a familiar comfort zone because there's a bit of fear associated with going forward. She is very cooperative in her therapy for the most part. I've been holding her like a baby for bottle feedings and trying to maintain eye contact. This can be challenging, but it's working out. Since feeding has always been an issue, I never insisted on the cradle position, but I think I probably should have. I'd really like to know if establishing trust from the point of adoption is more or less important to theraputic parenting techniques. I guess you have to do what you feel comfortable with. I really am beginning to think that attachment is the source of S's disconnect with the world. She stays in her safe mode and avoids contact with adults. She is very comfortable with kids, but not adults. She doesn't respond to them when they come up to her and talk to her, but if they talk to me for a few minutes, she accepts them as safe and will give them a big hug. I don't think it's the indescriminate affection from a child with attachment disorder or RAD, because from what I have read, they do it immediately, and not wait to check them out. I wish I had all of the answers to this complicated issue. That's all for today.