I also want to know where the handwriting issues are coming from, whether it is fine motor or something else.
If you're mostly worried about the fine motor, why not just get an occupational therapy evaluation?
An OT eval can show the presence of motor challenges or weakness, but won't diagnose or show the root cause of what's behind the motor issue, and understanding the why is important in determining how to remediate/accommodate.
Given LRS' concerns with understanding where the handwriting issues are coming from, along with wondering what things she sees are due to giftedness or other, I'd recommend a neuropsych eval. LRS, I'd suspect you should be able to get a referral from your ped given your ds' history and your current concerns. blackcat mentioned dyspraxia - our ds has dyspraxia (developmental coordination disorder), and has handwriting issues that stem from it. When our ds was younger, there was a professional who felt he was on the autism spectrum based on his behaviors in a few interactions with him. We too that question back to our neuropsych who showed us a chart that shows how symptoms overlap between ASD, DCD and ADHD and was also able to show us in ds' testing the areas that showed strongly that he did not qualify for an ASD diagnosis. So I suspect a neuropsych could help you with clarity on your ds' current situation and challenges. We've also found neuropsych evals to be extremely helpful in understanding how to move forward with addressing whatever challenges exist.
Best wishes,
polarbear
