Dear Dr. Meg,

I am a mother of one, so I do not have anything to compare to. My daughter is six and is very smart and loving. However, she has recently begun to do the exact opposite of things that she knows better than and she argues with literally EVERYTHING. For example, I could point to a blue chair and state that it is blue and she will tell you it’s not. It’s every little thing regardless. She is always rolling her eyes and making snarky remarks.

We try very hard to keep her engaged and busy doing things she likes to do, along with structure & schedule. I sometimes feel like I am getting the attitude and personality of a 16-year-old girl, not a 6-year-old girl. She is constantly testing like it’s a full time job. Is this normal behavior of a 6-year-old? Should I be concerned? Sometimes I feel guilty asking others because I feel like I sound like I do not love my child, but I do very much. I feel guilty even asking or thinking something is abnormal.

Her father has Aspergers, ADD, OCD and social anxieties. I too work with adults with special needs and…