S.T.
it depends largely on whether the 'shutting down' is voluntary, or if it's something this very tiny girl can't control.
no way of knowing from this. she could just need more rest, or protein, or fresh air. she may simply have been put in an institutional setting too young, and is overwhelmed, and this is the only way she can cope. if so, she needs everyone to back off her and let her breathe, and develop at her own pace.
could be that she's never had positive discipline and doesn't know how to handle the demands of kindergarten. if that's the case, she needs to have firm, loving boundaries set, and the adults in her life help her understand them.
could be a physiological condition that requires medical intervention.
khairete
S.