Autism, Introversion, or something else?

[Improperlyhappy]

Help mummies! I've never posted before but I'm not sure where to get advice on my 4yo DS's behaviour. I am not sure if I should be worried and I don't want to rock up at the doctor if I'm just being silly. My lovely boy is very loving but he demonstrates some odd & very irritating habits. Three main things - firstly, he almost always ignores us when we ask him questions/give directions and we need to repeat 5-7 times before he'll acknowledge (no hearing issues). Second is he reacts awkwardly if I have to chastise him and his reaction includes outbursts like head butting or punching (not really violently - he does it in a way like he's embarrassed and doesn't know how to react). Thirdly he really hates a change in routine - mostly big things like being in the company of people he doesn't now or going somewhere for the first time. But even a Sunday lie-in, or cleaning up bedroom! I don't think this is enough to class him as on autism spectrum, so could he just be an introvert (me, hubby and older son are all extroverts)? How do I help him through this awkwardness, I'm feeling bad for not knowing how to react to him and support him :-( any advice appreciated xx

[BackforGood]

Does he go to school? Or Nursery ?
What do they say?

Have you actually had his hearing tested recently? - children's hearing can both come and go, but also they can sometimes hear some frequencies of sound but struggle with others. Always a good thing to rule out.

What is his language like? His understanding (Receptive) as well as his speech (expressive) ?

One very easy tip to start with, is to clearly say his name first, and get his attention before you give other information / ask a question. In English, we tend to say "Do you fancy a cuppa ImproperlyHappy ?", rather than "ImproperlyHappy, Do you want a cuppa?" which is what you should try switching to, as it gives the person you want to talk to chance to know you want to talk to them, before you ask them the question / give instruction, etc.

[Improperlyhappy]

Thanks backforgood x
Nursery are happy and he's meeting all the outputs for the preschool curriculum. He got hearing tested about 6months ago, and his verbal skills are generally good - he seems to understand and can respond to lots of questions, he has lots of vocabulary etc. it's just these few behaviours that we can't seem to get past! And because they're quite extreme, I just want to respond in the right way. I will try your suggestion of trying to address him by name first, thank u! x