DeeDee ... I have been pushing for Asperger's evaluation for DS4 for 2.5 years now and all the therapists would always blow it off as SPD ... but I KNOW that's not it. He does have a really bad SPD but there's more to it and I need to know what. But I feel like even the Psychiatrist we've been seeing the last two weeks is very puzzled by him.
We didn't get good answers on DS until we went to the autism center of a major children's hospital, where they had seen enough kids on spectrum that they were able to figure out DS. Because the gifted ones often don't present with the standard-issue set of symptoms, or present the standard symptoms in nonstandard ways, it can be hard for a general psych to get a handle on.
He LOVES to be out anywhere and just explore ... park, beach, store ... just ANYTHING new to him so sometimes I think why waste time at the therapist office when we can be out giving him the stimulation he needs? Why try to hold him back teaching him to sit still when maybe running as fast as he can is what he TRULY needs?
Not to scare you, but mine is like that too. We spent a lot of time out of the house when he was little because his play skills were so poor, he just did not do as well at home, and he loved being in museums and gardens and places where he could learn things constantly at his pace.
The only problem is that school (and eventually, work) are not like that-- you don't GET constant stimulation (even in an awesome job or an awesome school, there are quite a few down moments), and you have to learn to manage and occupy yourself in those environments too.
I realized kind of late how much I was compensating for DS's missing skills in how I was running the family.
As for the 2-year old ...
None of what you wrote rules out autism (and the spinning makes me suspicious)-- it just says to me that there's a lot of interesting stuff going on inside that kid. I'm glad you are investigating.
You sound like a very caring and on top of it parent.
DeeDee
