Merry Meet:
I hope I'm posting this in the correct spot.  I went back and forth as to post here or under the family section.  If this is not the correct area, please accept my apologies.

I am trying to find someone who has some experience, or knows someone who has experience, in a very unique situation.  This is a bizarre story, although every part of it is extremely true.  I have hesitated and thought a long time about putting this out for review and advice, as it sounds so unrealistic.  My hope is that those who frequent the very few and exceptional groups I’m seeking assistance from are open enough to believe me.

My youngest was born with multiple and complex neurological anomalies, including the complete absence of her corpus callosum.  She had a tumor removal located in the right parietal lobe of her brain at eight months old, which saved her life but left her non-verbal.  She communicates via sign language and augmentative communication devices.  Through all the challenges, she has been gifted with exceptionalities and has tested out at several grade levels of her actual 5th grade placement.  The challenge we are facing, however, is one in which I have reached a dead-end at trying to work with.  She has appeared to have been blessed (or cursed, depending on how it’s viewed) with the skill of “reading minds”, particularly if they are in direct physical contact with her.  Now, before this whole statement gets out of hand, let me explain.  We have noticed this in the realm of her school work.  When tired…or simply not in the mood to work—which is often—she will write out, word for word, what the person helping her hold her pencil is thinking.  I know that this has been going on for at least a solid year…I’m not sure if it’s been longer of not.  Her inclusion facilitator—thank the goddess—is exceptionally open minded and has caught her doing it multiple times and is completely on board with this phenomenon.  Her personal assistant has also caught her doing it.  When she doesn’t want to do her own work, she pulls the answers….or whatever the person she is with…is thinking.  This has resulted in writing assignments that consist of personal grocery shopping lists, the words to Christmas carols, as well as a planning list for a birthday party of someone she didn’t even know.  As funny as it may sound, it’s causing an enormous amount of problems.  Obviously, the ramifications are numerous and it’s the ones that lie on a deeper, philosophical level that have me so concerned.  Questions abound such as, if she is “reading” minds, can she read those of everyone around her or do they have to be in physical contact?  How much has she “heard” that she can’t fully understand?  What emotional damage is being done?  We have not come up with an unobtrusive way to try and “test” her to see if she can accomplish this with someone not in physical contact with her…and quite frankly the possibility scares the !@#$% out of me.  Over the past 2 and a half years, she has been diagnosed with moderate to severe depression and anxiety disorder.  She also has exhibited a much higher resistance to utilizing her equipment—which enables her to keep up with her classmates and friends—a problem that we never had in the past.  I could go on and on, as her case history with this “gift” alone is extensive; however, what I am hoping is that someone out there knows of an adult with the same gift?  Ideally, I would love to find a social worker or psychiatrist in the Chicagoland area who has this same gift who I can hire to start working with her.  She currently has a wonderful social worker, psychiatrist and counselor, but none of them are open-minded enough to even consider this situation as feasible…and I’ve been exceptionally cautious in pushing the matter for fear that my daughter will be turned into a human guinea pig.  At this point, if there is someone out there who has this gift and who can offer guidance to myself and her inclusion facilitator with how to help my baby understand this gift and how to deal with it.  What’s okay to do and what’s not…and why.  She will be starting junior high next year and the implications of having to deal with all of the discrimination, prejudice and typical “pre teen junk” that I am anticipating I fear will be more than she can humanly handle without someone else who is in the similar situation and has learned how to cope and deal with their gift as an adult to work with.  If anyone out there knows of such a person, any recommendation will be graciously accepted.

Thank you and Blessed Be.  

CougarsMist

I don't have the answers for you, but I can tell you that she is not the only one. There are many more children like her. Most of them (how do I say this in english, it's not my first language) grow out of it? Some retain the ability. What I have noticed is that generally this gift (or curse) is inherited. It is strong in my partners family and sometimes they do scare the s*** out of you especially if you think you're blocking your mind...

So, maybe knowing that she's not the only one is a very small comfort.

The only advise I can give you is: communicate. Make sure she understands that she can tell you anything and that she can ask anything if she "hears" something she doesn't understand...

Blessings and good luck.

cali

Cougarsmist,

First, let me say that you have a blessed child.  In many ways, I envy her abilities, though they come at a high price.  

The most common tests for reading minds usually involve the tester looking at a card with a picture on it and having the person being tested try to glean what is on the card from reading the tester's mind.  You can do this with any type of card, just control for the test by not wearing glasses or performing the test around reflective surfaces.  

As for advice, this type of power is very much beyond me.  What I would suggest for the time being is to teach her to shield her mind.  Probably the most accessable avenue for you at the moment would be to find either a Daoist or Buddhist pracitioner to teach her meditation and control and concentration.  Centering a clearing the mind is a foundational practice in both belief system and would greatly benefit your child.  

Keep searching, and I am certain a mentor will enter her life at the necessary time.  I offer you what belssings and best wishes I can.

Well, first your child is special, which you already know.  I believe souls born to a life with health problems ( severe ones like this or handicaps etc) are very advanced souls here to learn some very intense lessons and teach those around them.  

She is obviously very intellegent, so talk to her.  I am not sure if you have done this and to what extent.  Explain to her what you believe she is doing and capable of, explain to her that she needs to to her own work and of the issues of others privacy ( even in their own minds).  I am sure she will understand this.  I am sure she already knows what she can do.  I would also explain to her of others ideas and some peoples lack of understanding of what a wonderfully gifted person she is.  Help her understand it, it can be a journey you and she go one together, it is obviously part of your lessons and life path to be with her.

I am no expert on the subject by any means.  And that is something I would do.  I wish you every luck with this.  I hope you keep us posted at how she is doing and yourself as it would be very hard being a parent to one so special.

Blessings to you and your family.

Kath

By the way, even if no one here can offer you the advise you are searching for always know that we offer what we can and send you all the spiritual and emotional support we can.

Hello Everyone and Merry Meet.  

I would first like to give a heartfelt thank you to all of you who responded.  It offers some peace of mind knowing that there is an adult out there somewhere...or at least an older child...who has similar experiences.  I appreciate your advice and suggestions...all of which I feel are very poignant and well worth taking to action.  If anyone does hear of some sort of "counselor" who has also dealt with being able to know what other's are thinking, please keep me in mind and forward their contact information.  I will keep all posted on how it goes.

In the interim, I will be investigating resources in our area that may be able to offer some skill building in the areas of meditation/shielding.  We (her inclusion facilitator and myself) started speaking with her today about the importance of respecting others' privacy and how her teachers...and us...wanted to know her thoughts on her school assignments, not ours.  Her personal assistant actually ended up holding a "one sided" conversation with her in the classroom this afternoon that went on for several communication exchanges.  Her PA would "think" of what she wanted to ask or tell Alexis, and Alexis was responding back utilizing her communication devices answering or responding to her.  If humor can be found in this at all....it was a little funny....no one knew why, or who, Alexis was talking with.  Fortunately for us, and her, we have an exceptionally open minded and "on board" 5th grade teacher.  She went down to my inclusion facilitator's office and asked what was going on and was told she really didn't want to know.  Her teacher kept saying yes she did...and then outright asked whether Lexy was talking to herself in class or to her PA.  Although she asked the question, she wasn't truly ready for the answer and had to sit down quite fast when my inclusion facilitator.  finally started answering her questions!!  Fortunately for all of us, we are all in strong agreement that this little tidbit of information cannot be spoken about outside of the four of us...or else we may all be carted off to the funny farm!!  LOL  

Hey, at this point, I've got to laugh at some of this or I'm going to need a very large prescription of valium!!  

Blessed Be,

CougarsMist

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