Would you seek the advice of a GP or another health care professional about these behaviours and traits in a 9 year old boy?

[NoFitStateMum]

My son is 9. He has no diagnosis of any neurodiverse condition at present and has no additional support in place at school.

Since day 1 in school his various school teachers have commented that he struggles to concentrate, sit still and complete work and ends to be a bit bossy and explosive in terms of social/friendship stuff, although the latter has settled a lot as he has got older.

This has settled down as he has got older but aspects are still present and new behaviours and traits have emerged which make me think it is worth seeking a medical opinion about as taken all together they seem 'different' and potentially of concern. I wonder about a couple of possible diagnoses but am trying not to be Dr Google. I don't want to be OTT either and worry that a lot of this is just normal 9 year old behaviour.

Does this list seem like there may be things that need closer inspection and is the GP where I should start please? I am going to post in the main parenting thread too.

V easily distracted
Frequently forgets to flush toilet
Often wees on floor around the toilet and all over the toilet (I.e. doesn't aim well)
Hates wiping his bottom after the toilet and struggles with it / still needs help at times
Messy eater
Struggles to use cutlery well
Was relatively late learning to reliably catch, hit and kick a ball
Ofteh lost in a dream world - still v into imaginative play especially with younger sibling and younger friends
Heightened sense of right and wrong and 'fairness' - gets annoyed and affronted about minor things that clearly feel bigger to him
Interrupts and talks and talks - often almost monologues
Doesn't like waiting in general, whether for his turn, to speak, to get the pupil of the week that seems to rotate around all the kids in the class eventually
Often knocks things over - drinks etc
Slams and bangs things - e.g. cups and bowls onto table when using at mealtimes, closes car doors with too much force, slams his drawers closed, runs up the stairs so noisily
Is bothered by some loud noises himself
Loves to spin and flop and hang and to play rough and tumble
Loves the sea and crashing waves
Often get very angry and even tearful when asked to do homework or to read school books at home
Seems to 'need' TV time to regulate - often gets very stroppy and angry if he can't watch TV or for as long as he wants to
Struggles with handwriting, cursive is a huge effort and when he attempts it at home we get tantrums and tears. Dislikes writing in general. Handwriting still looks like a 6/7 year old's unless we correct and supervise him when doing it
Loves sand / mud / slime etc
Likes to draw and loves animation, comics etc
Has to touch things e.g. in shops, when visiting other homes
Using far too much handy soap
When walking, has jump / land onto all drain covers we pass even if he has to double back or walk right in front of you to do so
Used to step on my feet lots until maybe a year ago
Needs constant prompts and reminders for everyday things
Struggling a bit socially
Often struggles to settle to sleep
Hates labels whixh he has to have cut out and is fussy about clothing and materials
Picks skin and nails (and for a short spell previously, his nose until it bled)
Gets up from desk at school during the school day when meant to be sitting and does the same when we are eating at dining table at home
Struggles to follow time, sequences (until recently he referred to days of the week mainly by their activity link as a way to work out how long it is until a certain day - didn't grasp days of the week, months of the year order etc) and struggles with some maths too
Was a slow reader until Yr3 and has turned a corner since but is still not a keen reader.

BUT is super bright and interested in everything and is confident at lots of things. He can tie his laces and can shower independently. Does lots of sport (mainly ball sports, running and swimming but lives gymnastics too). Can ride a bike and scooter well.

Thanks

If you are worried then it's worth talking to someone. Have you spoken to the SENCO at ds's school?

Some of the things you've mentioned sound like they could be to do with sensory processing, so it might be worth asking to be referred to an OT who specialises in sensory processing disorders. Some areas offer this on the NHS but services like this are really dependent on where you live. The SENCO or GP should be able to advise you.

I’d speak to the GP and also to the SENCO and share that list with them both.
You might also find the book “The Out of Sync Child” helpful

Thanks for the replies.
At various points, sensory processing issues, adhd, dyspraxia and even dyslexia and the numbers one (dyscalculia?) have all crossed my mind as possible issues but it's also hard to know what behaviour lies outside the norm. I have spoken to school who repeat that he struggles to focus and sit still at times and so doesn't alway finish work on time. And that he plays quite 'wildly' in the playground I.e. he is very active and physical. But they have never said he needs additional support so it's hard to know what is going on really.

The school won’t necessarily say he needs additional support unless it’s really obvious. As his mum you know him best and notice all the little things the school might miss. My dd was recently diagnosed with ASD. The school didn’t have any concerns about her and hadn’t flagged anything up. But we her mum and dad could see things they didn’t, she lets it all hang out more at home, plus we’re paying closer attention than a teacher of 30 kids can. Her school is great and teachers do frequently spot things, but where it’s more subtle they might not always see it. Don’t wait for the school to instigate it, if you think there’s something going on you can just raise it with the GP and see where it goes. You might as well get on some kind of waiting list as you could be waiting a long time for any kind of assessment depending on where you live

Thanks @incornerreading. Was your daughter's assessment and diagnosis on the NHS via the GP?
I spoke to the school SENCO a few months ago and she felt that on what she has seen there is nothing out of the ordinary and he's just 'a boy'. (Eye roll). I mean, he is, but if his behaviour is typical why has teacher after teacher given us the impression he isn't behaving as they expect and like others. In addition, I observe enough at home and elsewhere outside school to make me think there are issues that need more investigation.

We got my dd assessed privately in the end. But we started things off by first speaking to the GP who referred us to the child development centre for assessment. I heard the waiting list was very long so we ended up choosing to get her privately assessed.
Yes I think schools sometimes downplay things, I guess they don’t want to see problems where there aren’t any. It is a bit annoying in your case seeing as teachers have flagged things up. I think it’s better just to go direct to the GP and see if they think your ds should be referred for assessment. (In some places they need the school to be on board before they’ll refer, but in our case they referred without school input).
The SENCO at my dd’s school also didn’t think there were any issues she could see. But then when my dd was diagnosed she acknowledged that it made sense and she could see it now. I didn’t want to go back and forth with the school, I just wanted to go straight to the GP myself because I knew that the school weren’t seeing what she’s like at home.
The GP won’t think you’re silly or anything, you have enough there that it’s valid for you to question if there’s anything going on. I was a bit nervous before speaking to mine but I made a list and she agreed to refer her without any problem.

Yeah I would definitely ask the school or the gp x