Dear ChrisG,

Thankyou for your insightful reply. Yes, she seems to need more time to process or integrate information, but also she shows a perfectionist streak. With regard to her homework, she is behind most of the children in her class. When trying to catch up on the overwelming stack of homework, she struggles to make all the letters perfect. If she notices a mistake, she erases the entire sentence (at times the entire page) and starts over. You can see why she is behind. If she is not finished when it is time to go to school, she breaks down into tears saying that 'it must be finished before class.' She can't seem to stop doing her homework to get her hair combed and her shoes on so we can all walk out the door. When this happens, often I have to finish dressing her and practically drag her out the door so the rest of the children won't be late for school. Hannah is 8 years old.

In regard to how she expresses her anxiety, Hannah is always rushing to help where ever she perceives there is a need. Often this causes more trouble than it helps because of her rushing in without noticing things around her. Often, the food falls on the floor or the water spills, or she gets her sleeve in the butter or something. When we tell her to slow down, she once again is aware of her deficiencies. So she sits in her seat almost motionless saying "O.K., O.K., O.K." as she glances around with her head down and her fingers twiddeling as if she's thinking 'How do I move without spilling something else.' Or, she may rush to clean up the mess only causing more trouble. She knows the other children don't have these problems, and she tries hard not to be different. She is a sweet lovable girl, very much like I was as a child. I hate the thoughts of her hearing the negative remarks I heard growing up. And, yes, she is very bright. Loved very much by adults, not as much by children, though. She's full of life and full of love, but with a streak of mischief and slight stubornness.

In regard to Monomania, is this one thing at a time, or is it an obsession with the same one thing all the time?