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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]The degree of DC's rigidity came out last week when we went on vacation.  Our 7+ hour drive, including all stops to go to the bathroom, was fraught.  Pretty much every bathroom stop was met with cries of "TOO LOUD" and on more than one occasion, I simply pulled her out of the bathroom, freaking out, because the toilets and hand driers set her off so badly.  Mercifully, she didn't have an accident, but we also spent some time driving around looking for places that were likely to be more friendly.  I also ended up buying her a set of head/ear muffs for heavy equipment (think lawn mowing) for the ride home so she could confidently use bathrooms.

It worked, a lot.

But it took another day in the vacation house before she could calm down over the noises.  She is already freaked out over: the stove exhaust fan, the vacuum, the blow drier, the bathroom exhaust, getting her clothes wet or dirty, getting paint or marker on her hands, etc. etc.  She has been in OT for about a year, and I've been told by the private therapist that, without an official diagnosis that will have an impact on her learning environment, it's unlikely she'll get accommodation in her public school this fall, when she starts K.

DD is engaging, verbal, loving (and extremely demonstrative), funny, and clever.  She also has a number of medical and sensory challenges.  I am hoping you can offer advice as to the best way for us to seek an official diagnosis (I assume ASD or ADHD are basically our options -- I don't care, I just want her to have tools to success) so that she can have what she needs to succeed at school, instead of worrying about the auto flush toilets in her kindergarten classroom.[/quote]

Please make sure that the teachers (all teachers - including specials teachers and administration) are aware of her needs as soon as possible. I say this because I was just in summer school setting with brand new teachers who had no experience teaching let alone teaching children with sensory issues.  These same teachers are going to be in many of the public and charter schools this year and would hate to see your daughter suffer as a result of a teacher not recognizing her needs. That said, if she is not going to have a SPED teacher in her classroom supporting her please provide the teacher with helpful tips as to what you find works best at home to support your child. You are your child's best advocate. If you inform administration ahead of time they can probably make sure that your child winds up in a classroom with a teacher whose style will best suit your child. Some teachers are loud and others like a loud classroom. That is a recipe for disaster when we are talking about children with sensory issues.

Really push for it to be added to her IEP right away. Accommodations might include offering a quiet space for her either inside or outside the classroom and making her aware ahead of time of any expected fire drills to reduce anxiety.  Also, be sure to work at home on calming techniques that can be transferred into the classroom. Breathing, counting backward from 10, etc.  
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