Did I catch right that you haven't seen the SLP in a year? I would write out all your concerns with social speech, splits between receptive and expressive, and anything else you see and request that the school do an evaluation. If you pick up on subtle speech quirks, document them and describe them as best as possible. Same with fine motor control.
I would also head back to that SLP you loved so much and ask for a reevaluation. My poor 8 year old has been through 5 (? 6?) SLP exams. When the kids get older, some of the issues become clearer on their testing tools. Particularly for bright kids who have found other ways to communicate, more information is better than less. I'd want the school eval (including a classroom & lunchroom observation) on top of the other parts to help pick apart problem areas.
In our case we finally got a diagnosis that seemed to bring the pieces together with a brain-functioning based explanation, whereas previous diagnoses pretty much described the symptoms (expressive and phonological speech delays). No way could we have uncovered that diagnosis without remediating the symptoms.
Good luck! He sounds like a great kid, and the teacher sounds like a gem.
