Hello again,
So I have written here before about my oldest daughter; I suspected her to be highly gifted, and as a young mam, I couldn't handle some of the issues being thrown at me..thanks for the feedback and for helping me not feel so alone. It was challenging to say the least. On entering school we were advised to assess her. My suspicions were right and she is getting the help she needs now. All is well there.
I now have a son coming along behind and hoping you can give me some guidance. He is just 4 and I have different worries and concerns for him.. He also shows signs of very high intelligence, but he also has many other strange habits and ways and extreme focus on certain topics.. I worry about the idea of assessing him because I still hope he can fit into main stream school. His teachers are starting to comment on his outbursts and energy and his over sensitivities and I think testing would be a good idea at this stage before he enters preschool.. I have read online about all the traits and ways to spot aspergers/autism but i wonder from a more personal level.. how did you spot aspergers/autism?
Some concerning habits in my boy are incessant rocking when tired, stressed or concentrating. He also rubs his hands together when intensely talking or thinking or waiting. His development is always above average and his speech can be amazing when he actually uses it and isn't whinging and rocking coz something isn't right. He squirms in disgust at being dirty and is very particular and clean. He hates the textures of certain clothes and foods since he started solids. He would drop foods before he had barely picked them up if the texture displeased him and wouldn't touch or eat it. He repeats sounds over and over when he is upset. He likes music a lot and hums and taps rhythms over and over and goes into a zone. If you call him, he just doesn't respond, but when not in this zone, he always answers to his name etc. His eye contact is perfect with people he likes and knows and he loves to dramatically discuss things.. If he doesn't like someone that visits, he sits in one spot for up to an hour and rocks and wont even look at me. If i pick him up or disturb him he will scream and cry, but at times i can then hug him to make him come around, but most times i put him up to his room where he gets into lining up his cars to distract him.. something he has also done since he could crawl and play. If a crowd is in the house, even if it is all family, he hides in another room and prefers to eat at the kitchen table instead of eating at the dining table with everyone else. To a point of uncontrollable stressed out sobbing if we made him sit with us. We let him go to the kitchen usually coz everyone feels sorry for him.. it isn't a bold cry/tantrum. Lots of people and crowds really stress him out. Has anyone had any of these traits in their kids?
