Offering my totally uneducated opinion, perhaps there is a bit of savant in him.. I watched a documentary about a few savants in particular, including "Rain Man" himself.. And its not a prerequisite to be autistic- The way you describe him fascinates me, however.. His ability to pick up things quickly and his desire to repeat things he sees is interesting.. I guess in my own retarded way I am saying your kid sounds pretty awesome in that respect..
I hope I'm not coming off as too much of an idiot here..
Anyway- Best of luck going forward with him.. Sounds like a very unique child and he obviously has good, attentive parents.. I would think thats the best foundation for a successful and healthy future for him.
And I didn't stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.