Have you ever noticed a change when your child has a fever? - Autism Spectrum Message Board

meechieny · 09-05-2006, 02:26 PM

Something very interesting. I have a 6 yo son with PDD: high functioning. He seems to have a auditory processing problem and difficulty at times expressing himself......EXCEPT when he is sick, especially with a FEVER. He actually sounds like he's a typically developed sixteen year old. Very articulate!!!!! Listens and comprehends very well. Has actually told me when he had a high fever that something was "different in his brain..I don't know what is going on" I have my own theories, but looking for other thoughts and theories. Please tell me what you think. Thank you.

elmhar · 09-05-2006, 02:44 PM

Hi Meech,

W/fever, metabolic rate increases, incl in the brain. Could be some processes there are benefitting from increased blood flow, nutrients, or neurotransmitter turnover.

What are your thoughts?

cjjimenez · 09-05-2006, 03:10 PM

HI , I dont know if this is the same or not, but when my son was in the hospital for his colon resection back in nov.he would run high fevers and was very sick. But he would talk to me more [normal] than he usually had done before. His conversation was more appropriate. He would ask me questions like if the doc would come in he would ask me things like what did the doc say? When normally it woudnt matter to him .There was not alot of the repetive talk, or talking to hisself.I would say his conversation was more normal and age appropriate. he is 24 .

GatsbyLuvr1920 · 09-05-2006, 05:03 PM

What I find interesting is that I almost never have fevers. If I have a fever, you know I'm really, really sick. There may indeed be some sort of connection. I just know that I have always had atypical expression of illness- my throat didn't even hurt when I had strep as a child. I didn't have a fever, either...

-GatsbyLuvr1920-

9CatMom · 09-05-2006, 07:16 PM

I could feel terrible and not run a fever. When I was a small child, a cold could send my fever up to 104 degrees. My normal temperature today tends to be a couple tenths of a degree below the average 98.6. When I am sick, I feel dopey and sluggish.