Has my son got autism....or learining difficulties???

[debbs1234]

Hiya where do i begin.  I have 3 sons who are 9,4 and 3.  I am worried about my son who has turned 3 in January.  He has speech problems and has difficulty pronouncing most words although he is getting easier to understand and is getting slightly better he is putting words together to form sentences but i find it hard to understand him most of the time.  He is half toilet trained where he can now in the last couple of weeks use the toilet for a pee but has never had a poo in the toilet yet and we have been through lots of rewards/punishements the thing that worries me is that i really dont think he knows when he needs and sometimes when he has actually been. We put him into nursery about 6 months ago to see if that would help him with his speech but it hasnt and he doesnt really like nursery he cries everytime we leave him.  He has this behaviour pattern where he always wants me to do things for him and not anyone else.  He is a very loving litle boy and sometimes when he cuddles me he likes to lick me which i find very strange as well. He plays fine with his brother but only really with one toy his wreslters and he loves to play the computer (which he plays only for at most 1/2 hour a day)maybe he is just slow at things.  He is in speech therapy now but to be honest it isnt making one bit of difference.  I just find it hard to understand i have never had any problems with my other 2 sons infact quite the opposite the olderest is in all the top groups in his class and my son who is 4 is really bright and both were toilet trained within days.  Maybe he will just be slow but there is just something with him i cant quite put my finger on.

Many thanks

[Angela77]

I think you have cause to be concerned.  You said he gets speech therapy.  Has there been any comprehensive evaluation done by a team of educators (Special Education Teacher, Speech Therapist, Occupational Therapist and Psychologist)?  

[debbs1234]

Another couple things is that he never asks any questions like they do at that age my 4 year old son was always asking how?, Why Where but he never does except for one question that he ask everytime we pass it.  Is that your gym?  He asks this question everytime we passmy gym on the way to work. He has other things that he always does as soon as i start cooking he always says/asks is tea ready?  One more thing he does everyday is when i ask what he wants for his bedtime snack he always says wait and see and he has to come pick it although he knows exactly what he can have.  All this may sound strange put it loads of small details that all add up for me to worry the kind of repetitiveness.

Thanks for taking the time to read thia and sorry for going on and on