Autism Question

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donnajane

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My little man has had another bad day. He has always "shut" himself down around some people a little but lately it is becomming more common. Or if his routine changes, ie they had a fire drill at his child care centre and it stressed him out to the stage where when they were outside he had one of his stronger shudders (arms locked out tremmoring, eye's wide) he was tired after so could have been a seizure but I am sure he "worked" himself up to it.
He has started 'Shutting down" so much lately not only around strangers but even the kinder teacher who walks through his room at child care a couple of times a day and he did it a few weeks to a younger little girl when we were at a play area, with his older brother and sister. I felt so sorry for her as she only wanted to play with him. He closed his eye's, went pale and a bit sweaty no response at all to her, it was almost like he had "gone to another place in his mind" I waited a few minutes then went over to talk to him and no response to me either so I picked him up and he just lay in my arms, again I think he may have worked himself up in to a seizure but i may be totally wrong on this.
He has an aide at child care which helps but they are looking for ways to help him when he goes like this. Does anyone have any suggestions. His specialists are still trying to work out what is going on as often he is the opposite over the top friendly saying hello to everyone. Any suggestions or advice would be appreciated. We are on the waiting list for Early Intervention which will hopefully be able to refer him onto the correct people for help with his communication and behaviours when they see him.
Thanks
Donna
 
Any chance he has a minor infection? Sometimes that can cause a "retreat" in behavior. I hope you get some answers soon donnajane, you've been on a long journey searching for the right diagnosis and treatment.
 
DonnaJane -- that going pale and sweaty and a bit unresponsive sounds like an absence seizure to me.

My oldest son (who doesn't have epilepsy) used to do that when in kindergarten -- get all pale and sweaty, but not the unresponsive part so much -- and they'd send him home from school. His pediatrician eventually diagnosed him with migraines (even though at that point he wasn't having the headaches).

The shuddering thing is interesting. Jon Jon does that sometimes in the morning, when he first gets up, and when he's like that he's super-sensitive to sound -- any little cough or bump will cause him to either jump out of his skin, or to start crying (or maybe both). I've always wondered if it were seizure activity. But he did it a lot while having a 24 hour EEG once, and nothing was picked up.
 
Thanks for the info. Just wondering can absence seziures be brought on by emotion? As at first what he does seems to be behavioural but then it seems to grow.
Re infection not that we know of but then often we get a run of intense episodes before he gets unwell.
Seeing his paed on Tuesday so hopefully she can shed some light onto what is happening. Child care were great on Friday and were able to get some photo's and footage of him doing this so his paed can get an idea of what happens.
It seems for the last couple of months his condition has been gradually getting more periods of NQR and the good periods although they happen are getting less. Hopefully the lesion in his brain hasn't altered but I keep the hope that it hasn't as he has a few days with quite a few good periods every now and then.
Just hoping as he gets older he may be able to tell us more.
Thanks again.
Donna
 
Hi Donna,

You may find the following URL - regarding Autism - interesting:

People with autism may experience some form of sensory sensitivity. This can occur in one or more of the five senses - sight, sound, smell, touch and taste. A person's senses are either intensified (hypersensitive) or under-sensitive (hypo-sensitive).

(The above quote was taken from page 4)

http://www.autism.org.uk/about-auti...-syndrome-an-introduction/what-is-autism.aspx

Hope this helps,

Regards,

Andrew
 
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Thankyou so much Andrew. I am sure with all of you giving me links and info and my sons specialists also looking into his issues one day, hopefully in the near future we will have a clearer picture of whats happening and be able assist him to reach his full potential.
Thanks again.
Donna
 
Any chance he has a minor infection? Sometimes that can cause a "retreat" in behavior. I hope you get some answers soon donnajane, you've been on a long journey searching for the right diagnosis and treatment.
YES! This is very common, and something we discuss a LOT in the autism community. Any of my son's typical hyper-sensitivities are intensified during illness. One friend insists on having her daughter tested for strep every time her behavior seems outside of her normal range of behaviors.

DonnaJane -- that going pale and sweaty and a bit unresponsive sounds like an absence seizure to me.
That's exactly what I thought. Jake doesn't necessarily go sweaty when he has (what I believe to be) absence seizures, but he does lock up and tremble a bit beforehard.
I've always wondered if it were seizure activity. But he did it a lot while having a 24 hour EEG once, and nothing was picked up.
Oh goodness... we had the same problem. Jake did a lot of that while in the hospital for an extended video EEG, but the doctor reported no seizure activity was recorded.
You may find the following URL - regarding Autism - interesting:



(The above quote was taken from page 4)

http://www.autism.org.uk/about-auti...-syndrome-an-introduction/what-is-autism.aspx
Very good information. There are other conditions that cause such sensory phenomena - take a look at "sensory integration dysfunction" for more information. It is, however, one of the stereotypical components of an autism diagnosis.
 
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