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When she first came to live with us, I started out slowly with the questions, pretty much asking what kind of things she liked to do at her last foster home (response, "I don't know), and I would inquire if she missed her previous foster mom whom she lived with for 8 months and she would just matter-of-factly state, "Nope."
Then after a few weeks she started going to daycare part-time, and I tried so hard to make that a way to communicate. How was your day, what did you do, who all do you play with, what's your favorite thing to do... most of these would get an, "I don't know" but when I pushed I would sometimes get a sentence or two. Then THAT backfired because she would repeat that answer every day... I've termed what I consider about 5 or 6 "stock answers" she has to certain questions.
She's been seeing a therapist since July, and her therapist told me "M" was one of the more difficult cases she'd worked with. She said when she tries to bring up "feeling" related topics, she either changes the subject or gives her a shrug. She also had a psychological evaluation, and the psychologist stated that M is unable to identify feelings on even a basic level.
Add to the mix that she's VERY hyperactive, VERY easily distracted and that makes it even more difficult for her to concentrate, etc., when you are trying to talk to her.
As for movies, she either likes them or dislikes them. She's very intelligent in understanding plots, really surprising us sometimes, but again, she doesn't seem able to tap into the emotional aspects... just what a character says or does.
Anyway, I'm not sure what the symptoms of Autism are but I will look it up. I fear she's just subconsciously found a way of protecting herself, and it seems impossible to pierce. She's been with us almost 10 months and we haven't really seen any change.
Thanks for your responses.
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