Here's what I think based on the above:
--at this phase, remediating the most obvious aspects of the autism (especially the aggression) is as important as-- maybe more important than-- serving the gifts.
--a play-based preschool is not likely to help remediate these issues and will probably stress your child out or isolate him, neither of which is useful. I'd want to find a preschool that offers specialized instruction that includes children with special needs. No, NOT the non-verbal classroom, but the only appropriate placement is one where someone has the skill set to teach what your child needs. This includes circle time skills, transitioning between activities, and anger management. All teachable, and all critical for later schooling.
(One of our children attended a preschool that was 1/3 Head Start kids, 1/3 children with disabilities, and 1/3 other kids from the community. With a TON of specialized staff. It was awesome, and an appropriate placement for learning those kinds of skills.)
--does your child have an IEP through the IU? If so, he is entitled to services and supports, not just some random preschool placement.
--what we found most useful for DS11 (2E/autism) was an ABA program at home that was targeted specifically to skills he needed, and then an IEP at school that required them to teach and generalize the same skills.
