Cynthialcy, my DD lined up everything she could get her hands on including toys AND candy. When she was more interested in making patterns with M & M than she was eating them, I was rather worried. She also used to love staring at our washing machine and loved spinning toys.
She also had extreme sensitivities to noise and serious sleep issues.
I was never concerned about ASD though despite the"red flags."
It's not that she is now a perfect child who is well-behaved all the time but she certainly would rather eat candy than line them up these days. So for her, the red flags were developmental quirks.
I personally feel that appropriate therapy with an competent therapist won't do much harm and can only help. I hope your DS gets the help he needs.
I just have to mention that my siblings and I used to love sitting in front of the front-load washing machine "watching TV" together. (We had an actual TV, but this was probably more stimulating!)
But seriously, I would echo the thought that therapy with a skilled practitioner won't hurt, and might help. If your insurance covers it, it might be worth investigating.
