Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Age or Ability Specific Forums 2 year old gifted?

Hi! My name is Jessica and I am a SAHM of a 26 month old boy. I am not really sure that I belong here, but I am in need of someone to talk to. I feel like I can't ask my friends questions about thier kids, because it causes too much tension. This is my son in a nut shell...

Hit all milestones very early.
smiled and cooed at 2 weeks
Found foot at 2 months
Held rattle at 2 months
Rolled over both directions at 3 months
Sat unsupported at 5 1/2 months
Crawled at 6 months
Threw ball overhand at 9 months
First steps at 9 1/2 months
Was running by 11 months
Pretended to feed stuffed animals at 14 months
Asked what's this (then shortened it to just this?)and wanted an answer from 15-19 months
Didn't really talk too much (except for when he wanted and very few words) until he turned two
One months after he turned 2 he was up to over 250 words that I could understand. Saying 2 and 3 words often. Sometimes saying 4 or 5 word phrases.
I believe he can identify a ton of letters...upper and lower case (but not sure exactly what as if I ask him he won't tell me), but I have caught him flipping over the number 3 and saying E. And flipping the letter P over and saying d. I know he knows upper case D,O,N,C,Q,L for sure casue that is what I was able to get out of him. And I am pretty sure he knows way more then that. He will actually physically count items, but yet doesn't know how to say them all. So, he will usually say two, two, two, three. I believe he knows all of his basic colors including black. He for sure knows what a circle is. And will tell you watch...circle, moon...circle, ect. And I know he knows the star shape. As for the others...not exactly sure, because he is so stubborn. He understand emotions...sad, scared, and silly. At 14 months old he was watching Monsters Inc and the little girl was screaming and his lower lip came out and was extremly sad. I thought it was a fluke, but he has done it since with anything that is sad. He now will tell me what is going to happen in a movie before it happens or with only hearing the music coming from another room. His interaction with children his own age or lower is horrible. He will interact and share all day long with a 6 year old. His imaginative play is ridiculous! He pretends the couch is a piano, the arm of the couch a cash register and will swipe a card on the stiching, he pretend he is wearing a tool belt and will grab imaginary tools out and do the task of the one he pretended to grab. His memory is really good. I asked him to tell his papa about how he painted that day. He told him...paint, brush, walls, and tape (for the painters tape). He has been obsessed with the computer since before he could walk. When he crawled, he crawled straight for the remote. He knew how to work a DVD player without us ever doing it in front of him. He has known how to work anyones digital camera since he was 15 months. He properly understand how to use a computer mouse and has known how since he ws 18 months. He was able to crack and separate an egg by himself without me telling him what to do since 20 months old (the first time I let him). His love for cooking is high! He loves all animals and has known all the sounds of the basic animals since 18 months. When I buy him a wooden puzzle, I give it to him and he does it in less then a minute and will never play with again. He can do one of those basic 9 piece puzzles with the object under it (if you understand...not sure what they are called). He also just painted an object with just a little out of the lines (I have never told him to do that...he was at the table by himself and just did it). he also has a great sense of humor!!! Laughing at the tv maybe around 18 months.

These are some of the problems we have with him...
head banger from 6 months to 15 months (only when angry)
extreme tantrums
sleeps very little, like 9 or 10 hours (sometimes 6.5 if he has been over stimulated)
when he is sleeping he has vivid dreams and will wake up telling me while he is screaming
picky eater (never ate baby food)
refuses to wear clothes
refuses to brush teeth
will not ever become on any type of routine
lines items
constant need of my attention 24/7

We thought he had a speech problem since he wasn't saying anything on a regular basis, so we got an evaluation done on him. He was slightly below normal. But, they also did an OT evaluation and determined he had sensory processing disorder. All of his doctors keep leaning toward autism, b/c all of the major problems started at 15 months old (which happened to be after a bad car accident we were both in). He was evaluated by 2 OT's and they both said he is not autistic. And if he were...very low end. I always thought he was injured in the accident and the doctors did nothing to check (which is changing now) to make sure. But, after reading the info on some sensory processing sites, I now wonder if he is gifted. I would say all of the characteristics are there, but I am not sure. He has never been a "normal child". I am wondering if any of you have seen your children go through the things I have. I have not been around a lot of children through my life and really don't know what is normal or not.

Please I am in need of some real people that have gone through gifted infants and babies to tell me their opinions. I am exhausted from lack of sleep (I have gotten woken up for an entire year 3-20 times a night)and I am so tired of talking to doctors.

BTW...sorry for all the errors in this as I need to go to sleep since my son woke up at 3am and he has now just fallen asleep. Thanks for all the help!