She says, and we see, that he's very smart. He counts to 50, and recognizes numbers up to 50 (we were at the vet and they have the dog year poster, and he was pointing to a number and saying it, to above 50). But he doesn't, or at least won't admit to knowing, his letters. All he wants to do is play with blocks all day at school. He has fits of rage, at home and at school, and all of a sudden he just shuts off. Won't talk or interact in any way. He won't participate in circle time or other group activities because he says the kids don't like him, but he comes home and says they are all his friends. He hurts the kids, usually by accident, regularly, I'm surprised he hasn't been kicked out yet. He know's the kids names in his afternoon class, most he's been with for years, but his morning class, the kids who have only been there since August, he doesn't know thier names. He can't remember names of things, pets. I have Lily, and my boyfriend has Rocket (he comes for extended visits, Rocket that is), and I have Spock and Kirk. Spock and Kirk were born the day after Thanksgiving, and he doesn't know any of their names. He knows the cats and dog, but they've been around for years, before him or when he was a baby. He knows basic addition better than subtraction, but he can do both with single digets. He's great on the computer. I think I'm missing stuff. I know enough about autism and aspergers to know if he did have mild autism or aspergers he could still live a normal type life, they aren't as bad as it could be, but I did do some research and a lot contradicts each other, of course. But I do see a lot of the signs in him now that I've read them, he can't put his shoes on without velcroing and unvelcroing 3 times. Everything has to be in it's place, like OCD stuff. He walks on his toes, always. Other things I can't remember. I can't get his insurace to cover any screening other than his PCP, and don't get me started on that battle, he can't even see her right now, so I have to pay out of pocket. There's an organization here that will do it for free, but they only spend 15 minutes with the child. I don't know how to find a better place, I'm not so much worried about the cost, as long as it's not oh my god expensive, but I want better than 15 min for him. I don't know how to find someone else, like a private dr. Would a child psychologist do it, or psychiatrist? And how do you find a good one? Wouldn't want to just pick at random from the phone book. I don't know what to think. When she said this I thought no, it can't be, but I know I can't just burry my head, and they wouldn't have made me come in, on her off time, to talk about it if she wasn't really worried. And yes, he has had behavioral problems similar in every class and school since he was really young. I know I'm rambling. I told my mother about it and she's blaming me for anything he may have wrong with him, saying I'm being gullible to even give it another thought. She uses me as an example of teachers always being wrong, but I think she is wrong. I could relate to children and wouldn't ever participate in school, all I wanted to do was sit in the corner and read. I still can't deal well with people, can't really relate, and I don't function well. But he is social with strangers, which is odd.
