Given your concerns, I recommend having your son assessed by a professional with experience diagnosing autism-spectrum disorders. Your pediatrician should be able to recommend someone in your area. Regardless of diagnosis, absolutely continue to pursue services to help your son with his speech and his temper. Help exists for the issues that you are describ...
I don't think being patient is the right call here. Continue actively pursuing any medical issues your son might have and make sure he is receiving high-quality educational services as well. In a sense, his particular diagnosis (whether it be an ASD or not) is much less relevant than the particular educational challenges that he is facing. As he trans...
I agree, I don't see a reason to worry at this point. If your concerns continue, it wouldn't hurt to have him assessed.
While it is always possible, there is currently no genetic testing that can identify what exactly the level of risk is in your case. This is a good topic of discussion for you and your doctor and, if you have concerns, when you have children it would make sense to keep an eye out for warning signs.
Autism-spectrum disorders are diagnosable much before the onset of puberty and there is not good evidence that their presence or absence is related to puberty (i.e., there are not cases of people who are developing typically and then attain an autism-spectrum disorder during puberty). That being said, I strongly recommend that you regularly see a behavioral ...
I'm surprised you are having a difficult time finding a professional who will assess you. The autism diagnostic criteria are not age specific, and there should be no relative difficulty determining if you meet them or not. My best suggestion is to follow up through your doctor to receive a referral to a professional that your doctor trusts.
So far, based on your description, I don't see a reason to worry. The challenges associated with autism are more global than some specific issue (i.e., waving). It sounds like your child is social and responds to you and the cues you provide, all good signs. Obviously, follow up with a formal assessment if more concerns arise.
If you have questions or concerns about whether an autism diagnosis is appropriate for your child, absolutely pursue having your child assessed. Your pediatrician should be able to refer you to appropriately trained professionals in your area who might conduct the assessment.
Asperger's syndrome is not a disorder that specifically makes someone more inclined toward violence. It is, however, a learning disorder and individuals with Asperger's may have a more difficult time learning how to handle stressful situations in an appropriate manner. There are a couple of important things to understand for someone in your situat...
Based on your description, I'm not sure if an autism diagnosis would be appropriate, but it would be worth having him assessed. The behavior issues you describe are all solvable, and can also occur in typically developing children. Seek out a behavior analyst in your area (the BACB website has a useful directory). The fact that your son is so bright i...
