ASD-advice please

Rdmaggie

Lately DD has been retreating into her own world more and more. She is 2.5 and we got our dx 8/7.

What I mean is that it is getting harder and harder to reach her. She enjoys scripted play with figurines and becomes so involved with this play and reenacting scenes from shows she watched or even just singing to herself that she no longer will break away to answer even basic questions she previously had no issue answering. I've tried calling her name, gently shaking her, firm grip to her arm, taking her hands and placing them on my face, etc. but she just turns her head from me and continues to do whatever she was doing.

It's troublesome because I know she is capable of choosing her soap for bath time, choosing what good she wants for lunch, etc but she simply won't.

We do daily floor time as part of our P.L.A.Y. Program but I'm not sure what to do to help these issues specifically. I wouldn't call this a true regression, but it's as if she just doesn't care to interact with us at all so she doesn't. It's not only with questions but also with activities she used to enjoy doing with us. It just seems she's spending more time "out there" than with us. Any suggestions on what we could do to try to entice her to be more present, and be willing to resume answering questions and participating in life at least at the level she was previously?

Is there a form of therapy that she may benefit from that addresses these issues?

TIA

SantoriniSteph

It sounds like ABA therapy might help her.  DS had similar issues with not responding, we have been doing ABA for 8.5 months now and it has been helping him.  At first we just tried to join his world, he didn't always want us there, but it was nice when he accepted it.  Whatever play he was doing, we followed him.  His ABA therapists started with following him, then moved to slowly directing him to different things.
Best wishes to you!

oandmplus1

DD is very much in her own world quite often. She is also developmentally delayed so she never had any of the skills your DD has. We started ABA in January and only do 6 hours a week in the office and additional time at home but it is helping. She is non verbal and ABA taught her, for example, to point for things she wants, do her first sign, and make eye contact when we call her name. These are huge things for her that none of her other therapy made as much progress with.