My son who is 21 months displays many signs of autism. His senses are heightened. He licks and smells people/objects, covers his ears often when out in public and constantly rubs his nose with the corner of his blanket. He will seek out a corner of his blanket every time to rub his nose. He babbeled from 6-9 months and them completely stopped until about 18 months. He does not say 1 word and screams constantly as if he is trying to communicate. He is constantly on the go bouncing from one object to another and must climb on everything. He flapps his hands and extends his arms while tightening his fists when excited. He is unable to point to communicate his needs, but does understand some words such as "splash splash" and will run for the bathtub. It is a guessing game to determine if he wants food, something to drink or is a shirt is bothering him. He just sits and screams a high pitched tone. He is very emotional if he sees another baby or cartoon character cry. He will begin to cry and become very upset. When he does this his face turns very blotchy with bright red patches. His peditrician seems to think that he is just delayed in his speech and communication, but I see a major difference between him and kids his age.
I want to trust my peditrician but have a feeling that something is just not right. I am not sure where to go or how to begin to get them to the right people for an acurate diagnosis. I want to help my children reach their full potentials but it is hard when I don't know what I am dealing with. Any suggestions?