DS2.8 will be going through developmental screening next Thursday with the main concern being Autism mainly for speech delay, tantrums, sleep problems, refusal to follow directions, etc. but a lot of it may be masked giftedness (knew all upper and lower case letters and sounds before 24 months, started reading words phonetically at 2 years 4 months, counted objects to 20 by 24months, started with basic addition little after 2.5 years, etc.). The screening is through Early Intervention programs (since they could push for us getting in faster than going through doctor referrals) and it's at one of the bigger developmental screening centers in Chicago. I have always worried that a lot of the "symptoms" he's showing are more due to his special gifts than autism itself as he's super focused on whatever he's wanting to learn at the moment. I really hope they will take all that into account and not misdiagnose him.
So, my question is, if I have any influence over what happens next week, is there any IQ test that would be good in this kind of situation? He is no show off so there is always a chance that he will show absolutely no effort in anything. But if he's in the mood, he'll take the testing and have fun with it. Some kind of "ability" / "knowledge" type of test? ... pointing out letters, numbers, shapes, colors, patterns, etc.? He will not follow any directions or anything like that but would probably show what he knows if it was put right in front of him.
Any suggestions? I am not against Autism diagnosis, so don't take me wrong ... but don't want want him to have to go through therapies and special ed and who knows what else if he doesn't need it and what he really needs is letting him explore freely the world around?
