has he ever had asthma diagnosed before? If hes never had it before I would be inclined to think croup rather than asthma, expecially this time of year. Croup isnt necessarily less dangerous, my parents nearly lost both my brother and I because of severe attacks when we were very young, but we tended to get a very severe form, but it is very different to asthma. I would be investigating alternates and not necessarily seeking an asthma diagnosis which can lead to unnecessary interventions. The other "indicator" I have found for croup is a slight illness up to 3 days either side of the attack. My attacks were usually an indicator that I was 24-48 hours off getting sick, and more likely to occur at seasons change- either as it was getting colder or warmer.