He sounds just like my oldest, who was finally diagnosed with autism at the age of 13. We had him in for evaluations starting at 4 for rage episodes triggered by random events, frequently related to transitions in activities. He is high functioning and seems "normal" at first. The random rage does look like bipolar sometimes. And frankly it can be both. Comorbid conditions are very common in these kids.
My son's official diagnosis is Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), Bipolar not otherwise specified, ADHD, and anxiety/depression. He is absolutely not able to function without medications. He functions best with a mood stabilizer, an antidepressant, and a long acting stimulant for ADHD. He can get away with just taking an antidepressant but he does better when on all three. I am a very natural minded mama and it was hard accepting my son needed all these medications but it really is no different than medication for a child with diabetes or asthma orchronic migraines. Brain based illness need treatment too. All of my special needs kids took a real turn for the worse between ages 9-12 and I suspect the hormones as the body revs up for puberty really do a number on their brain chemistry/function. You do not want to wait until then to stabilize him, believe me.
