Connecting The Dots

by Kyana
(Tucson)

I have been trying to make sense of my 9 year olds behavior since he was 2. I have always dealt with his behavior as something that will pass or just an idiosyncrasy. Since he was 2 he would often run off, not concerned with where he was going or fearful of losing me. When he began preschool his teacher recommended he be evaluated for Autism. His evaluation discovered nothing and I was told that all of us are somewhere on the spectrum but nothing was found to be extraordinary with my son.

Growing up my child has always been content to play on his own. Once he reached elementary he blossomed, having several friends. He has always done well in school and receives compliments from parents and teachers on how polite and well-behaved he is. At home is another story. He upsets easily and often fights with his siblings. He has become increasingly frightful of leaving the car to walk to the house at night because of wild animals. He often turns on all lights before he goes to be and complains that he is not sleepy refusing to go. He angers easily for the simplest things: leaving the house, when told to complete a task, when asked to get ready in the morning, when asked to brush his teeth or tie his shoes to name a few. He often complains of stomach aches or headaches and shows anxiety over his school uniform ( preferring certain polos, shorts or refusing to wear certain socks). Although he keeps most of his behaviors at home he has displayed them in public for example while we were waiting in line he became increasingly agitated and began whining and getting loud. He has had public outburst, yelling at me or his brother and walking off.

I am not sure which route to take with him; if he needs to be further evaluated but having read through this checklist I have found several behaviors to coincide with his in emotional, smell, touch... Any suggestions or experiences would be greatly appreciated. Thank You