Oh no, no, no......you're not being nosey a bit. I welcome the help!
We know the father's family quite well and don't know the mother's family hardly at all. The bio father is a flop of a person, that's all I can say. Lots of run-ins with the law, alcohol, abused a wife, used drugs though I don't know which ones.
The biggest academic deficit seems to be comprehension, but he's managing so far. We're lucky to finally get a teacher (male) who works with him in ways that difficult child can learn, unlike the normal classroom. He can carry on a conversation as long as he's interested in the subject. If not, he'll change the subject in the middle of a conversation. He had no speech delays of any kind. He doesn't really hyperfocus, I don't think. He watches tv some, plays video games, but can give it up and walk away rather easily. He DOES get an interest and beat it to death. Right now it's going fishing and he'll drop anything that he's doing to go fishing with his father. I guess I saw that as a good thing.....clean fun and healthy.
He's never seen a neuropsychologist, but had a multi-disciplinary evaluation. done at TX Children's Hospital when he was about six or so. They didn't come up with much. He's been on medications since the age of four and has had intense therapy lasting many years, however; I've stopped his therapy for the time being. We weren't getting anywhere and I'm saving the "lifetime office visits" (insurance-wise) for perhaps a more needy time in his life (15 or 16 years old??).
He makes eye contact pretty well. He only has one friend. He has ongoing encopresis. He's very affectionate. He torments our two Yorkies mercilessly. He often sleeps on the floor in his room rather than in his bed. He calls me often through the day from his cell in the school's bathroom. I'm just waiting for him to get caught, but I can't get him to stop. He calls me every day at 4:00 when the school bell rings and before he gets on the bus. Yes, severe separation anxiety. He's been this way (with me) since he could walk and I've never, ever left him. I just can't hang my hat on Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD), though.
Now you know more than you ever wanted to know! It helps me sometimes to see it in black & white! When you live with it day in and day out you don't see it so clearly. If I'd not had two "normal" children to compare him with, I'd think someone was out to get me to have given me such a child. I love him so and I will do anything to help him.