I have a healthy 7 year old son who is an honor role student; has just earned his first degree balck belt in Tae Kwon Do, I could go on, but want to get straight to my concern. He has, since as long as I can remember, a habit of "flapping" while he kind of prances around on his toes; rocks when sitting on the couch - in the car...and lately has added hand gesturing - kind of watches his hands as he "snaps" them in contorted ways. In general, he cannot sit/stand still for any period of time - he is always on the move and lately he has been getting teased by classmates - called wierd... I have read some articles about Autism and as you can see from above, he does not have any of the developmental deficiancies associated with Autism. His pediatrician thinks he will outgrow this - that statement was made at least 2/3 years ago. Could he have some form of Autism? Where would I go for a professional assesment (what kind of Dr.). Please give me any feedback. :confused:
He is not incredibly shy, but is very sensitive. He will cry at any form of criticism, is easily hurt - which causes more teasing from other kids. He is not introverted - has friends, though he does not share alot of the same interests that most boys his age do. He communicates well - quite the talker actually. Though he does well with the forms portion of his Tae Kwon Do training, which involves balance and physical dicipline, he does not do well in sparring - does not have the fighters instinct - even if it is for self-defense purposes. He almost seems on the feminine side as far as personality - likes to be well groomed/cares about his appearance - very clean. He does extremely well in mathematics and spelling/vocabulary and has taken a keen interest in Astronomy. I have not seen much creative writing from him, but it has not been touched on alot in his classes yet. His gesturing seems more prevalent when he is nervous or stressed - sometimes when he is just plain tired. Let me know if there is anything else that would help you guys help me figure out what to do!!

How are his comminication skills? Does he seem shy? The flapping is something my son does as well as alot of peculiar body and hand motions. It's hard to say without knowing more about him. It's possible if he has some of the other signs that he could be Aspergers which is on the Autism Spectrum.

Asperger Kids don't usually get dx until they are over 6 or 7 ( I think ) because they don't have the language delays other spectrum kids have. I believe from what I have read that they are usually very intelligent kids with exceptional vocabulary for their years, often times have trouble with friendships because their interests and knowledge puts them in a different place than their peers. Which sometimes leads to teasing but they don't understand what is different about them.

Without knowing more about him, his likes, dislikes, challenges, what hes good at it's hard to say. But if you feel these movements are of concern, then you should ask for a referral to a developmental pediatrician or a Neurologist. If only to rule it out. I would go with the Developmental Pediatrician since they incorporate more detail on the physical and phychological tests. If he is on the spectrum, I think it may benefit you and him to know it since as he gets older he may face more challenges and you will be preprared do deal with them. Good Luck

I'd agree. From the limited information you've given, you may want to ask for a referral. Many Asbergers kids don't have problems with academics, etc. Instead, for them, the problem comes with social and communication skills. If it looks like there is a deficiency there, you'll probably want an evaluation.