Parents of kids with mild autism: when and how did you figure it out?

My son's daycare teacher suggested he might have Asperger's, based on his clumsiness, tendency to repeat certain things or want to hear the same song over and over, and this sing-songy way he has of talking. He also is very outgoing with adults but has a hard time connecting with other kids (he tries to chat them up like he's at a cocktail party, and -- surprise! -- it doesn't really work). I've also noticed that he is very passive when his playmates start messing with him. Our neighbor's son is his age and has started doing things like throwing sand at him, pushing dirt in his face, stuff like that. My son does some of the same stuff, BUT he never fights back. He just sits there looking sad, and it just kills me. It occurred to me that this might become the time in our lives when we realized he was "different." What about you? (Note I'm mostly looking for support and stories -- we are having him evaluated and I'm not trying to get an Internet diagnosis.) via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2dZilvC