I'm glad that your son is making improvements daily. That is really good.
I tend to agree with your mom about the vaccines. (don't you hate that!? Sorry) My son was fine. I have videos of him playing, laughing, pointing, shared learning, play-acting and talking, talking, talking. Then after his 18 month vaccines, he got very sick and lost it all.
The thing is, they give vaccines to children starting with the Hep B when the babies are 4-6 HOURS old. The mom barely knows the child yet. Then they finish the Hep B series at 2, then 4 months.
Dr. Amy Holmes has a son one month younger than my son who was every bit "autistic" as my son acts. Her doctor did a lead screening test. His levels of lead were high. Dr. Holmes began chelating her son for lead using the typical protocol. While chelating, tons of mercury started coming out after awhile. This puzzled her. She began to research where this could have come from. She and other scientists (moms), researchers, have found that while the EPA standard for "ADULT" safe exposure is .1mcg. our children are being injected with about 238mcg. of mercury by the time they are in kindergaren. (that is a decimal up there .1mcg) (I learned this from her old posts as she was putting it together, plus I try to follow what she does now)
Dr. Holmes has changed her practice. She is in Baton Rouge, LA. Her son is very healthy and very NOT autistic now. While chelation can be scary, it is not as scary as NOT chelating, to me. And, now that I have been doing it, it doesn't scare me at all. I find schools scarier.
Regarding rocking and toe walking, those are physical symptoms of a bowel impaction. I just found out that my son had an impaction in two places. They are unbearably painful and he has been likely suffering with this since he regressed. Sudden crying were signs that I got used to. When he was toilet trained at 5 years, I knew that something wasn't right. Doctors told me that it was "psychological" toileting problems. (Whatever!) Then I found a doctor through references in Chicago, IL. Dr. Richard Sandler at Rush Presbyterian Hospital. He has been great and was able to easily help us flush colon. I would highly recommend him if you aren't sure.
Also, regarding head banging...my son hits his head to indicate a migraine. I have learned through the years (he is seven) that he tends to "act things out" to communicate to me. If he hit is head on something, he hits me on the head to show me what happened to him, etc.
When my son was first DX with PDD, the autism rate was 1 in 10,000. Now it is 1 in 250. At this rate it is projected to be 1 in 25 within the next decade. The National Institute of Health declared it an epidemic in 2000. There is no such thing as a "genetic epidemic". I do believe that some kids are more mercury poisoned in the womb than others by their mom's dental amalgams and/or through fish consumption. (lots of mercury in each can of tuna) And I know that genes can be mutated by mercury. But I, and many others believe that autism = mercury poison. Also other degenerative diseases like Alzheimers, Parkinsons, ADD, ADHD, Chronic Fatigue, Lupus, Schitzophrenia, OCD, etc are being linked with mercury and have similar treatments as autism)
I hope I hit on all the major points. Good luck with your decisions. I think you are so lucky to have a mom that is involved. Our families on both sides are fine with us withdrawing from occassions, etc. My mom even told me one time that I talk about it too much after I was telling one woman who was VERY interested (she knew Troy before he regressed) what happened with Troy and what we were doing.