A BREAKTHROUGH...sortof

So today while I was in the ER with Mikey the nurse who put a splint on Mikey mentioned how good he was. She could not believe for 2 1/2 years old he sat still the entire 4 hours we were at the hospital. Then she started asking me some questions about Mikey. All I could think of was you are the first person to know Mikey without really knowing him. It turns out she is raising her grandson who has Asperger's syndrome. While we were in California he was somewhat diagnosed with Sensory Integration Dysfunction. They were going to test him further when he turned 3. As I talked to this lady she told me to go on line and read up about Asperger's and there are tests you can take to see if you think your child has it. I have cut and pasted the symptoms below. Mikey fits this 100%. I can't tell you how good this feels to know what direction to take with him. So this week as I follow up with his doctor on his leg we will be getting a referral to get him tested for Asperger's at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital.

Symptoms during childhood
Parents often first notice the symptoms of Asperger's syndrome when their child starts preschool and begins to interact with other children. Children with Asperger's syndrome may:
**Not pick up on social cues and lack inborn social skills, such as being able to read others' body language, start or maintain a conversation, and take turns talking. (taking turns talking is an everyday-all day long problem I have with Mikey)
**Dislike any changes in routines.
**Appear to lack empathy.
**Be unable to recognize subtle differences in speech tone, pitch, and accent that alter the meaning of others’ speech. Thus, your child may not understand a joke or may take a sarcastic comment literally. Likewise, his or her speech may be flat and difficult to understand because it lacks tone, pitch, and accent.
**Have a formal style of speaking that is advanced for his or her age. For example, the child may use the term "beckon" instead of "call," or "return" instead of "come back."
**Avoid eye contact.
**Have unusual facial expressions or postures.
**Be preoccupied with only one or few interests, which he or she may be very knowledgeable about. Many children with Asperger's syndrome are overly interested in parts of a whole or in unusual activities, such as doing intricate jigsaw puzzles, designing houses, drawing highly detailed scenes, or astronomy.2
**Talk a lot, usually about a favorite subject. One-sided conversations are common. Internal thoughts are often verbalized.
**Have delayed motor development. Your child may be late in learning to use a fork or spoon, ride a bike, or catch a ball. He or she may have an awkward walk. Handwriting is often poor.
**Have heightened sensitivity and become overstimulated by loud noises, lights, or strong tastes or textures. For more information about these symptoms, see sensory integration dysfunction.