Is my nephew possibly autistic?

[Marc_LFD]

I love my nephew (he's only 5) and he's a cool kid, though from time to time he goes from playing with his toys to screaming irrationally for no reason, bangs his head on the floor (that has to hurt), needs a pacifier to keep him calm, throws whatever he gets his hands on to (he has broken multiple TVs and Monitors because of it), if I or someone else just looks at him he gets angry, he has bitten his grandma, likes punching and kicking, and so on. They've took him to doctors and somehow found there was nothing wrong with him... I mean, really, nothing?

His mother is generally a rational and peaceful person, but his dad is a drug addict and heavy alcohol drinker so I suspect the poor kid has those "episodes" because of his father's side. Also, he can't stand the smell of cheese for some reason.

I just wonder what his future will be and if he can be an autonomous person or will he continue to have all these issues.

By the way, he enjoys watching trains a lot, if that matters.

 

[linuxares]

If you haven't already. Get CPS involved so he doesn't get near his father.

 

[Marc_LFD]

If you haven't already. Get CPS involved so he doesn't get near his father.

It worries me if his father hurts him or worse, but even though his mother doesn't want him (the father) around she still talks with him... It's a mess.

 

[Kraken_X]

My girlfriend works with kids at an autism center, and that sounds exactly like the meltdowns that the kids that she works with have. If there is an autism center near where your nephew lives, he should get checked out. If he has health insurance, it might cover it. The autism center can provide therapy to help him control the meltdowns and to become higher functioning in general. The therapy might be covered by insurance as well.

Does he have other autistic behaviors like trouble verbalizing or stimming (repetitive body motions that make him feel better)? Over sensitivity is a trait too, and you mentioned being disturbed by smells. Could his meltdowns/tantrums related to being overstimulated by sight/sound/smell, etc.? Autism is often genetic. Any chance the mom and/or dad are autistic?

Alternately, he could just be emulating bad behaviors that he sees his dad doing. Kids that age do that.