why doesn't my nearly 3 year old ask me any questions

my son is awaiting an assessment for autism, as this is all new to me i a looking for feedback as to if you think he acts normally or not on an average day we get up at 7am  he has a drink of tea and i offer him some breakfast he won't eat cereal as he does not like the texture but he will eat a piece of dry toast. then he will start playing lineing his blocks or doing a number puzzle or just counting. then several times throughout that morning he will be chewing or eating something that he shouldnt example the plaster on the walls, my flammable parts to my gas fire, picking bits of silicone out of window frame and several other inedible things but when i offer him something to eat he throws it on floor and goes back to eating something else he shouldnt. he never asks me for a drink or something to eat or what is that mummy pointing at whatever it may be or tells me if he has wet or soiled his nappy. yet he can count to 100  and he can count in 5's too he knows most of his colours and shapes but yet other than dragging me to whatever he wants and me then saying example his shape bus i will say do you want me to open it he will say op but if he is building a tower and the tower falls before he is finished he will throw a tantrum. if we go out somewhere he does not respond the best often repeating me or getting frustrated he rarely looks up but does make some eye contact  he barely eats throughout the day although he likes some crunchy things in my eyes he is missing out on a lot of goodness as he does not like the texture of things he repeats what he plays with and says most of the day he then at set 7.30 pm has a bath  and a bottle as he still wont drink from a cup for bed i thentake him up and go through a ritual of counting in odds evens 5's 10's and just up and down he will eventually settle but normally im up every couple of hours with him please help me what am i doing wrong he is a loveable character but he just doesnt understand me yet i know he is clever he can say certain mickey mouse scripts before they sayn it on tv like he has mesmerised them i just dont get it.

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi!
It is difficult to assess the situation on net. However, many children do not really start talking as in conversing before they are 3+ years old. They may repeat what they learn, communicate by sign language but may not really strike a conversation. Eating non edible things could be an obsession or just a passing phase. You could probably find bakery products or crackers or such dry things which he likes. While children with autism may show this behavior, even many normal children would show similar tendencies. Apart from being tested for autism, maybe you need to work with a therapist to find out how to steer him away from non-edible things. Hope this helps. Take care!

The medical advice given should not be considered a substitute for medical care provided by a doctor who can examine you. The advice may not be completely correct for you as the doctor cannot examine you and does not know your complete medical history. Hence this reply to your post should only be considered as a guiding line and you must consult your doctor at the earliest for your medical problem.

[skepticalpeach]

When people or animals eat something that is not food it is called pica. If he does indeed have autism he could be stimming too. It is a way to self soothe. Other examples of stimming are hand flapping, toe walking, and spinning.

I do agree that sometimes speech develops more slowly in some children, but as a mother of a 6 year old child whose speech is significantly delayed (she has autism) I can tell you that if you have concerns go with your gut. She has her rituals and picks up phrases and songs from the tv shows she watches and says them over and over again. I believe that this is very common in children with autism. From what you say it does sound like he could have autism, but I could never tell you for sure since I have not met him and I am not a developmental pediatrician.