Grinity- thanks for the great idea! I think she would enjoy planning her day in that way. She has been on a rather strict schedule for the majority of her life, only the activities change. The problems come mostly from changing/ending activities or my choosing the "wrong" activity in the first place. I think discussing and planning the day in the morning would really help. In addition to "circletime" and an hour of storytime, free and guided play etc she has for 4 months been having two 30 minute "classes" each day. I call them "preschool" for lack of a better word. She has English (reading,writing) Math (we have moved from shapes to counting and simple arithmitic), Science(nature), History (it's all geography and cultural studies right now), Classic Literature (Winnie the Pooh, Beatrix Potter etc) as well as Art, Music and Gymnastics. I really try to keep these sessions to a half an hour or less but she often throws a tantrum when I want to stop. Art is impossible for me to end and if she is painting it may go on over an hour and even through meal-times.
Even if I immediatley engage her in something else the transition is very difficult. My parents recently visited and she basically forced me to carry on with our routine rather then entertain our guests.
Sorry to write a novel. It may sound like a hellish situation but sometimes many days will go by with her being rather complient. It may just be wearing on my mind since today was a tough one (at dinnertime she stood at her map screaming "Russia please!" at the top of her lungs). This is why I worried about Autism for a long time. Thank you to everyone who has replied. This is really a wonderful and supportive forum.
