Take two: Don't treat her like she's autistic...

I continue to be surprised by professionals who have low expectations for my child. I wrote about one experience here.

Last week, I took my child to an appointment with a Ph.D. who works with children with special needs. The Ph.D. evaluated my child using interactive testing. I was invited to watch.

My daughter has a tendency to speak really fast. I suspect that she fears she'll forget what she is going to say if she doesn't rush it out of her thoughts quickly. Her anxiety plays a role in it, too. Sometimes I am unable to understand her.

The Ph.D. asked her a question and in her answer she spoke so quickly that the Ph.D could not understand her. I knew what she said. Her back was to me, but she was turned toward the Ph.D.  And The Ph.D. looked at ME with questions in his expression, waiting for ME to interpret what she'd said in such a hurry.

All the researcher needed to say was, "Wow, you said that so fast, I didn't understand all of it." to let her know there was a breakdown, to put her into an active thinking position and to allow her to be an active participant and take her own action to slow down.
 
Looking to ME for interpretation when she spoke to fast is making her even more passive than just flat out demanding/prompting her to slow down, which is still putting her into a passive position:  "I don't have to monitor communication for breakdown and repair because my mom does that for me."

Um, no. 

My daughter is capable of repairing a breakdown if you let her know there is one.