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Hi Jboo, We have a five year old boy (6 in less than a month) who has been flagged as being on the Autistic Spectrum. His first playgroup almost called in the area SENCo due to his 'babyish gait' and exaggerated negative reaction to any kind of physical or verbal guidance - but then he seemed to make progress so it was forgotten about. We moved counties and his second playgroup noted that he played 'alongside' children at best but never with them. Nothing specific was suggested and we all hoped that he was just a slow developer. He is a sensitive, fun-loving child, affectionate and caring - particularly with his younger siblings. Despite there being only 70 pupils in his entire primary school (just 12 in his reception class) the increased size of social environment started to reveal some more serious social communication difficulties. He was hitting out at Teachers and peers, incapable of sitting still for more than a few minutes, they struggled to get him to concentrate on anything he didn't want to do and he was clearly unhappy a lot of the time, though not all. By Easter I was so concerned at the vague reports of his behaviour I metaphorically pinned the School SENCo down and asked her just how bad was his behaviour? Was it within the realms of 'normal'? That was the first time anyone suggested that he had an ASD. My gorgeous little boy does not tick the classic boxes for Autism - He loves a cuddle, he is bright with a good imagination. He is struggling with his learning because of his lack of concentration and anxiety. Sometimes, especially if someone is cross with him he seems to 'zone out' - which is tough to deal with as a parent. He sometimes seems to wildly overreact to someone knocking a tower he has built over (for instance)- crying and making a fuss you just wouldn't expect from a boy as old as him. Sometimes he is just impossible to deal with. His language development is 'quirky' sometimes - with a particular difficulty naming time ("This happened last day", "at the first of the day", using 'why' instead of 'because' etc..). Some of his extended family cannot accept that he has an ASD because they misunderstand the range of abilities possible within this spectrum. Me... I think he has a mild case of Aspergers. He has been referred, we will wait for the interminably slow wheels of the Local Authorities to assess him. In the meantime, the school are trying to implement strategies where they can. I have come across a lovely little book written from the perspective of an Aspergers child. It takes about the same time to read as it takes to have a nice big coffee and a piece of cake. When I read through it it just sounded so much like my lovely boy (although a it was more severe in symptoms). It might help you identify the challenges your child faces. Can I Tell You About Asperger Syndrome?: A Guide for Friends and Family by Jude Welton and Jane Telford I apologise for such a lengthy post but I know just how helpful I have found it when people share the specifics of their own cases with me. I hope it helps you to feel more confident that, just because your child is not the poster child for a particular disorder, it doesn't mean he doesn't have it :-) All the best Averagemum