Sorry I haven't read through the whole post. I just hate the phrase completely, and I'm not even talking bipolar here.

My daughter has a lot of sensory issues. Personally, I think she only just missed the autism spectrum on the side of Asperger's. If I got her a 504 label, the school would have to provide free occupational therapy for things that affect school issues: the noise of hand dryers causing the teachers to send her to the nurses restroom, her refusal to wear shorts or pants (this is going to be bad next year when she has to change for P.E.), etc. But she's very high functioning, the pediatrician told me as we were getting ready to leave after her wellness exam this past summer. And I was like but she's 10 and can't tie a bow, won't floss her own teeth, walks downstair in a very odd slow manner (delayed motor skills/fine motor skills) though if she wants to do it - control a computer mouse, write with a pencil, she can. Then, the pediatrician was like...um, maybe she's on the border, if you need I'll do the 504. H doesn't want the 504. It can mean anything, autism, dyslexia, mood disorders, ADHD, sensory issues and just doesn't want a teacher getting that label next to her name and pre-judging her. But I'd rather have had the label and occupational therapy. We cannot afford occupational therapy or any type of therapy as our finances are so bad, we will be lucky if we do not lose our house soon. H is a teacher, and the insurance the state of TX gives teachers is laughable, horrible high deductible that gets even worse when you read the fine print, and it's supposed to get even worse next school year.

So my daughter has sensory issues but is high functioning. She still has them. They don't go away because she is high functioning. Then, all my family tell me how I am parenting her wrong because if she's high functioning according to the doctor & school, she doesn't need therapy then. I must be making all sorts of parenting mistakes