Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Consulting

Sensory problems. Many children with ASD children are extremely sensitive to certain sounds, textures, tastes, or smells. They may not like the feel of certain types of fabric against their skin. They may not transition well from clothes that are for one season to another (such as changing from long to short sleeved shirts) Sounds such as a vacuum cleaner, a ringing telephone, or the echoes of voices in the school lunchroom or gymnasium—will cause these children to cover their ears and scream. They may be choosy about food textures, and have a very limited repertoire of foods that they will eat.

In ASD, the brain seems unable to balance the senses appropriately. Some ASD children are oblivious to extreme cold or pain. An ASD child may fall and break an arm, yet never cry. Some children with ASD  may over react to the slightest touch or injury.

Seizures. One in four children with ASD develops seizures, often starting either in early childhood or adolescence.  Seizures, caused by abnormal electrical activity in the brain, can produce a temporary loss of consciousness (a “blackout”), a body convulsion, unusual movements, or staring spells.  An EEG (electroencephalogram—recording of the electric currents developed in the brain by means of electrodes applied to the scalp) can help confirm the diagonsis.

Seizures can usually be controlled by anticonvulsant medications.

Mental retardation. Many children with ASD have some degree of mental impairment. When tested, some areas of ability may be normal, while others may be especially weak. For example, a child with ASD may do well on the parts of the test that measure visual skills but earn low scores on the language subtests.

Fragile X syndrome. This is the most common inherited form of mental retardation. It occurs when one part of the X chromosome has a defective piece that appears pinched and fragile when under a microscope. Fragile X syndrome affects about two to five percent of people with ASD. It is important to have a child with ASD checked for Fragile X, especially if the parents are considering having another child. For an unknown reason, if a child with ASD also has Fragile X, there is a one-in-two chance that boys born to the same parents will have the syndrome.  Other members of the family who may be contemplating having a child may also wish to be checked for the syndrome.

5% of people with autism are affected by fragile X and 10% to 15% of those with fragile X show autistic traits.

Tuberous Sclerosis. Tuberous sclerosis is a rare genetic disorder that causes benign tumors to grow in the brain as well as in other vital organs. It has a consistently strong association with ASD. One to 4 percent of people with ASD also have tuberous sclerosis.