Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sounds like a very bright, normal kid.

Just so you know kids with autism are "normal" too.

Kind of disagree as this is not expected behavior or OP would not have posted.
From the dictionary: normal - conforming to a standard; usual, typical, or expected.

I would get an evaluation. Fwiw my similar kid turned out to have anxiety and severe adhd, not aspergers. Evaluations were so helpful for us.

Anonymous wrote:Sounds like a very bright, normal kid.

Just so you know kids with autism are "normal" too.

OP, I would submit the posts you made to whomever the developmental pediatrician may be. It's good background and context.

Sounds like a very bright, normal kid.

None of this sounds pathological to me. My friend has a shy, reserved 4 yo son who sounds a lot like your child -- he doesn't play with other kids at school, hates loud noise, finds chaotic environments overwhelming. But when you put this same kid in a home environment with 1 or 2 children that he is familiar with, he socializes just fine. So while his shyness is of such a degree that he is atypical, he does not have Asperger's.

Not talking about school, being obsessed with cars, and asking repetitive, boring (from an adult perspective) questions, are all totally normal behaviors for this age.

The "not wanting to talk about his day" thing is 1000% normal. I have three kids and getting anything out of them is like pulling teeth and they're now 6, 9, and 10. I don't know a single kid who spontaneously shares about their school day. It's a running joke among all my friends.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What's missing here is what his teachers say? In my (limited) experience teachers are overly eager to point out any developmental issues.

I think teachers are more likely to do this if a kid is disruptive or has problem behaviors at school. So some kid's issues fly under the radar.

yes, that was part of my limited experience!

It wasn't a criticism just trying to give context in case this hadn't been OP's experience.

No offense taken! I totally realize my experience is limited to my experience

The developmental pediatrician at KKI did an initial eval and recommended that we be tested fro ASD with the ADOS test. I am sure this will be how it will go for OP if she goes to the larger centers like KKI or Children's National.

Simultaneously, OP will want to contact her school system to have her child evaluated for school services. In MoCo, it is Child Find. It may be called something else in other counties.

But pursue both tracks to make sure your child, if he qualifies and is identified with a developmental issue, will get the most services possible.

I'm an ASD mom of an Aspergers child as well... Age 3.5 years was an awful time for us. Most three year olds are awful... but ASD awful was especially difficult. It is getting better. My Aspie is now 6. Still has issues... but we have a lot of supports in place to make it manageable.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What's missing here is what his teachers say? In my (limited) experience teachers are overly eager to point out any developmental issues.

I think teachers are more likely to do this if a kid is disruptive or has problem behaviors at school. So some kid's issues fly under the radar.

yes, that was part of my limited experience!

It wasn't a criticism just trying to give context in case this hadn't been OP's experience.

Anonymous wrote:I would make an appointment for an evaluation but I would start here:

http://childrensnational.org/departments/center-for-autism-spectrum-disorderscasd

For ADOS/ADI-R testing rather than going to a developmental pediatrician first. ADOS\ADI-R is the current gold standard for diagnosing ASD/Asperger's.

Good luck!

My DS is turning 9 and was diagnosed with Asperger's when he was 4 and doing great. You want to get him supports/services and an IEP ASAP.

I should add that we saw a developmental pediatrician first and also had a psychoeducational eval done around the same time as the ADOS/ADI-R and then a full Neuropsych eval when DS was 7 which all diagnosed Asperger's/ASD.

Will definitely recommend doing ADOS/ADI-R first to diagnose or rule out autism.

My DS has Asperger's/ADHD and is very high functioning. Most people never guess he has any diagnosis at all. I would be leery of a dev ped diagnosing or ruling out ASD with only a short office visit.

Most of these behaviors could be normal, but it's really about the degree to which your child exhibits them and how many of them he exhibits. I think there's enough here to warrant getting an evaluation - definitely some things reminiscent of my son who has ASD and is pretty high-functioning. Age 3.5 was absolutely the hardest age with him, btw.

I would make an appointment for an evaluation but I would start here:

http://childrensnational.org/departments/center-for-autism-spectrum-disorderscasd

For ADOS/ADI-R testing rather than going to a developmental pediatrician first. ADOS\ADI-R is the current gold standard for diagnosing ASD/Asperger's.

Good luck!

My DS is turning 9 and was diagnosed with Asperger's when he was 4 and doing great. You want to get him supports/services and an IEP ASAP.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What's missing here is what his teachers say? In my (limited) experience teachers are overly eager to point out any developmental issues.

I think teachers are more likely to do this if a kid is disruptive or has problem behaviors at school. So some kid's issues fly under the radar.

yes, that was part of my limited experience!

Like the others, I'll also say everything outside the washing machine and perhaps the depth of car knowledge sounds normal.