Communication Breakdown

I don't know what to do about my daughter. She's 10 now and still can't articulate what she's trying to say, either vocally or in writing. I've just spent days trying to get her to complete a little project from school. She had to make up a game and make a list of rules for it. This was her first effort...

TICK TOCK

How To Play

You need two players or more to play. You will need to set the clock that came with the package. Then tip out the letter dies then pick them up and shuffle them into place five times. Who ever gets the most words over tree letters wins the game.

Kinda explains nothing. I had to send her back to her room repeatedly over a period of days explaining that she needed to write it out point by point. She would stay there for 1/2 an hour and say she'd finished. I'd go look and she'd done absolutely nothing extra. I ended up having to put words in her mouth and I don't think that's a good thing at all.

If this was a once off it wouldn't be so bad but it's all the bleeding time. She stands there and Jeremy and I say "what do you want, Caitlin" and she can't spit it out. I have to fill in the blanks and substitute the ums and ahs and 'things' for what they represent. It's hard work listening to her and it always has been. It makes me growl and Jeremy can't handle it either.

She used to go to speech therapy for a few years as she had glue ear and was a late talker. She was deemed almost normal when she started kindergarten but she really is 3 years behind now. In fact, I think she's gone backwards but her teachers keep telling me she's fine. I know she's not fine. her father has the same problem and he dealt with it by quitting talking. He just nods and grunts most of the time. He's also great at ignoring any constructive criticism levelled towards him and Caitlin shares this trait too. It means that she's happy to accept mediocrity. Hell, her father hasn't had a single girlfriend since I left him 9 1/2 years ago. I asked him why once and he said "you should know, nobody would have me". I'd hate Caitlin to settle for a shit job and a shit life because she can't communicate.

I just don't know what to do with her.