Quirky symptoms when sick

[Anonymous]

My 5yo is very bright, but he is also very talkative and impulsive, especially when he is sick. In the summer, he is totally fine, but when the weather gets colder, he gets sick all the time, and that's when his quirks seem to appear. He fidgets, he says repetitive things, and he touches things he's not supposed to touch. We are in the process of having him evaluated, and I am wondering if it's worth bringing this up. Do other people notice that their kids' "symptoms" seem to be worse when they are battling an illness?

[Anonymous]

Absolutely! My ASD child looks pretty neurotypical when not battling illness. Last week my child started headbanging, mouthing, stimming, and not sleeping at night. Later this week DC stopped eating and then the symptoms of norovirus appeared... Happy three day weekend!

[Anonymous]

OP here. So interesting. Do you know if this is common among children on the spectrum? Sometimes I feel like he is two different people depending on how he's feeling that day. What does that means in terms of treatment?

Hope your DC feels better soon!

[Anonymous]

Pandas? Maybe your child does not have sad but untreated strep?

[Anonymous]

Darn auto correct ..autism spectrum disorder

[Anonymous]

No for my AS/ASD kid. The only quirk is his insistence that he is "fine" when it's obvious that he's sick: fever, cough. . Even when it turned out he had ear infections in both ears that perforated his ear drums, according to him he's "FINE" - was 4 at the time but he's always been this way. Now I don't listen, take his temp and/or keep him home, take to doctor.

DS appears NT most of the time even when he is sick. His current obsessions are Star Wars and angry birds - typical K stuff. No obvious stims, etc. Doesn't change when he is sick.

[Anonymous]

Then why is he categorized as on the spectrum? Lots of kids have attachments to things. I am confused?

[Anonymous]

He's gotten lots of interventions/therapies and has an IEP. According to his developmental pediatrician/neuropsych/and every other person who's worked/evaluated him he meets the diagnostic criteria for AS/ASD.

[Anonymous]

Hi OP- 16:43 here... I really don't know what this means in terms of treatment. We are still going through test, after test, after test to try to figure this out. I think one of the issues is that when my DC is sick he doesn't process his feelings like a NT kid would. Perhaps it's poor body awareness. Maybe he knows something isn't right but can't process the fact that he has a sore throat or tummy ache, so instead of laying down and crying, he spins, vocalizes, or bangs his head. My ASD kid has been plagued by GI issues since infancy, and I noticed that when we got those under control with dietary changes, etc, then ASD behaviors when away, however they do return now when DC is sick.

[Anonymous]

typo- I meant 16:46, not 16:43

[Anonymous]

What were your dietary changes? I noticed a similar issue with my nt child. He was acting "strange"...wandering around..talking to himself. Then he got really sick. After being on an antibiotic..all went back to normal. He is almost five..never saw theses behaviors before..still wondering what I should do. Went back to doc and he said he is fine..kids can have strange behaviors when sick etc etc.

[Anonymous]

You might consider whether a PANS/PANDAS diagnosis fits.

http://intramural.nimh.nih.gov/pdn/web.htm

Some people have found that kids whose behavioral/psychiatric symptoms really ramp up when ill actually have this autoimmune condition. There are still only a handful of doctors with expertise diagnosing and treating PANS.

[Anonymous]

OP here. He has always been an active kid, and I would say that he definitely has some mild symptoms of Aspergers. He interacts well with others, but I notice that he plays a lot with his fingers and his conversations can be a little one-sided. At home he is fine, but when we go into public places when he is sick, he is totally different person. He fidgets and touches everything compulsively, and he has no sense of personal space boundaries. When he isn't sick (which is hardly ever in the winter), he is a pretty typical kid. For the past three years I have noticed that he is very calm from May-September. I don't know much about PANDAS, but I'm not sure I can pinpoint an exact instance when a switch just flipped. He's always been a different kind of kid. Illness just seems to exacerbate the symptoms. He's had a cold for the past week and he has been extremely quirky. Both his teacher and I noticed a difference in behavior---which is why I had to ask if this was pretty common. Thank you for all on your feedback and suggestions!

[Anonymous]

not sure if this is helpful, but I am an adult with OCD, and my symptoms always flare up with a cold or other sickness. I don't have PANDAS, but it's a real thing and kids do get it.
On most days, I function very well, but then I'll get sick and remember I'm only one cold away from being symptomatic again

I have to stay home and rest when I have a cold. If I try to keep on as normal, the mental health issues get worse even though the physical symptoms are minor. If I concentrate solely on recovering from the cold, sleep a lot, etc., in a few days I am back to normal physically and mentally. That is one thing I find others don't understand -- a cold usually isn't a big deal, but it is for me.

[Anonymous]

NT and ADHD kids both get very talkative in a funny kind of way when they have a fever.