I will try not to drip feed but also keep it relatively brief. Please forgive me if I spout some stereotypes - I am new to this and just trying to figure out what is going on. I have been worried about my DS, just turned 7, for quite a while. His teacher told me today she has referred him to the Learning Needs Coordinator at his school and we've talked about him being properly assessed, but it was a quick 10 minute conversation. This week in school he bit someone and in a separate incident poured water all over his best friend. Though he was made to write sorry letters he doesn't really understand why it was wrong ("but it was a hot day"). His teacher says he doesn't seem to understand consequences. He also doesn't understand how other people are feeling and seems to really lack empathy at times. On the other hand he expresses a lot of love toward me and can be very gentle toward babies and animals. He has told me the other children won't play with him, which I can believe. When I see him with other children he is usually on his own, seemingly by his own choice, though he does (did?) have some friends and can interact well sometimes. He loves reading and spends all day at school immersed in a book. He is not as good at writing (didn't voluntarily pick up a pen until he was 5 and a half) and has trouble focusing on things for a long time (except books). He just ignores everyone to read. He won't play games (just watches0 and is not interested in practical things in the way that one thinks of children with ASD (he can't work the TV even though he loves it). He's very intelligent and articulate and certainly could work the TV if he tried but doesn't seem interested in learning to do these things. He doesn't respond to adults telling him off/telling him what to do in the normal way, just carries on. He has meltdowns sometimes and screams and shouts. His teacher said he shouts at her. He doesn't make eye contact and she mentioned that when he looks at the computer he looks out of the side of his eyes. There's lots more - his behaviour has improved in the past year but it's still far from what you would expect. I think his ability to read so well and just check out masks a lot. It's complicated by the fact that his dad and I split up about 18 months ago and he was witness to his Dad's EA of me. He is also on the receiving end of it (lots of screaming, intimidation, control) and is with his dad 3 days a week so I don't know what elements are emotional. Any thoughts? I have been in tears all day to finally have my fears confirmed. I know you can't do a diagnosis over the internet but people's experience would help. He was seen by a CAMHS mental health nurse last year but dismissed because I guess his behaviour wasn't "obsessive" enough and his dad in a separate interview denied that he had any of these behaviours.