I believe my adult son is on the Autism Spectrum.

I know what you're thinking, but please hear me out.

When he was little, I always thought his behaviors were because he was creative or eccentric. Having come from my culture and my adolescence, I have always seen the hospital/clinic as an "emergency only" situation. I never had him tested, nor would I ever have even thought to do so.

Now that he is older, 22 years old, I'm beginning to notice that those behaviors and new ones are affecting his quality of life.

Some of the behaviors include:

Loud, highpitched sounds - like those "screamer" fireworks - make him hold his ears and rock back and forth.

He has very intense emotions. When he is angry, he is VERY angry. And when he is sad, he is VERY sad. Etc.

Speaking of being angry, he pinches himself when he's angry. Pinches and yells and kicks and curses and pouts. This is one of the newer behaviors.

He mumbles everything he says. Then gets angry if I tell him to slow down and speak clearly. When I tell him "I love you" he responds with "ivyatoo".

He has a job washing dishes at a small restaurant around town. His boss, on several occasions, has told him that he needs to practice and get better and faster. But when he does dishes at home, it's a big sloppy mess and he just gets upset and starts pacing and welling up.

Girls are a big obstacle. He has never had a girlfriend (or boyfriend. I'd be happy with what makes him happy and he knows that). When he's around girls, even cousins or friends, he gets nervous and rambles on and on and on. He's way too nervous to actually start a conversation with anyone.

Which brings me to my next point, he has never really had many friends. And the few he has had in his life, he's more or less a sidekick to them. He doesn't talk to his peers, and he gets nervous when they try to talk to him.

I could go on. My biggest concern is that he's now an adult. Though he does live with me, I cannot make him see a doctor. I've gently brought this up to him and he just kind of stares at me blankly or he closes himself in his bedroom.

Does it sound like something he should see a doctor about? And if so, how to do convince him to do so?

I'm sorry this was so long.

- A Concerned Mother