Today I was pulled aside by my ds key nursery teacher. He is 4.11
She said at times he has difficulty following instructions (although this isn't consistent). We chatted and she also divulged that she thought he was a'serious boy' and that he can be very focused on one thing that interests him and sometimes in group time needs brought back to the discussion. I noticed it says in his record, he can need help expressing his emotions appropiately
As background, he is a bright wee boy and generally well behaved. I think his language is very good. He is friends with a wee girl next door although I don't know how friendly he is with children at the nursery - I mean he doesn't mention names but I presume he interacts.
On the odd occasion, when he was younger, I did mildly worry that he was autistic. He could be very repetitive and for years was obsessed with dinky cars and lining them up. He does flap his hands when he is excited but I have noticed my dd doing this and thought it was normal.
He is affectionate with me now but when he was younger I worked and when I picked him up from his granny, he wouldn't look up or even notice I had been gone. He often would push away from me, although I put this down to him being a 'daddy's' boy in that daddy has always been popular and works where as I have been at home mostly. At playgroup for a while I would pisk him up and he would look bemused or even annoyed then he saw a boy run to his mum and hug her and he did the same for a long time. I just had a hunch he was copying this behaviour.
He is a little bit anxious about hand washing (although we had several vomiting bugs last year and I got more stringent about hand hygiene) and doesn't like being dirty or strange textures.
He has never liked art and crafts but he does dress up and role play. He does make eye contact but is prone to angry outbursts which can be inappropiate. I blame myself for that because at times I have lost my temper and let my anger get the better of me - I always apologise unreservedly and hug him and it doesn't happen often.
He clings to routine, even small details. However we have days out and go away and he adapts well.
I am not sure why I have written all this but I am worried his teacher is getting at something and previous worries have flooded back. TBH I thought he had grown out of more worrying behaviours and I really enjoy my ds. Of course I enjoyed him when he was younger too but will admit found him difficult at times. His sister is 19 months and she is very different (of course) - but now this has cropped up I find myself comparing what he was like at her age.
Argh! Just needed to write it down and if anyone wants to offer advice it would be welcome.
My ds means the world to me and I worry for him