Hi
I have to say that my son sounds a lot like yours (mine is now 13) and he still has every car in our town's license plate, make and model memorized. He is very emotional and caring and loves to be hugged. He is the kind of kid who doesn't want to hurt anyone's feelings and has difficulty making decisions that would involve making one person happy and another one sad.
That said, we never thought it could be AS because he was so sensitive and smart. We thought he wasn't comfortable in social situations because of his exceptional giftedness. Imagine our surprise when we had him tested and the tests came out as Asperger's. I was devastated and really have refused to fully believe it (many people would swear he doesn't have 'it' because they think he is so 'perfect'). But, I have to say that after 3 years of weekly therapy sessions, he has gotten sooooo much better, feels better about himself and has lots of good friends.
The diagnosis (as painful as it was for me ... and whether it is or isn't 'true') has helped us get him 'help' and find ways to deal with social situations. I don't think we would have gotten as far without the therapy. I have decided to look beyond the label.
Good luck.
