Ear infection?? Autism regression?

Question

I am just grasping at straws here until we see the doc but Can a doctor miss an ear infection in a toddler? my lil boy is having quite a few problems i am concerned about and i am very worried about autism.. He had a double ear infection a few weeks ago and we took a course of antibiotics and i even took him back to make sure it was gone. which our doc said it was. anyway he has been grabbing his ears and hitting them and hitting himself in the face.. not talking or happy the last few days.. not playing with his toys, just sitting against the wall alone looking very upset. not sleeping, eating or drinking much. we have an app to see the doc asap but i am wondering in the mean time could there be something wrong with his ears causing these things. or at least causing the ear grabbing? he does not seem to be the child i knew a few days previously.

Answer 1

How old is your son? I'm a little bit confused... has he been diagnosed with Autism and you're worrying that he may be regressing or are you concerned that his regression may be Autism?

It definitely could be his ears causing him to act out of character. It could also be teething although I'm not sure that the symptoms would be so severe... I do know that some baby's ears are irritated by the teething process.

You could try getting an appointment with a speech pathologist in your area... they are experienced in identify early Autism characteristics but this would depend on your child's age.

Good luck

Answer 2

My son keeps getting ear infections as well.  When he has them he is not himself.  He is quiet, doesn't like to drink anything, sleeps a lot, and etc.  Don't worry, when they don't feel good they aren't themselves.  Just mention it to the doctor to see if there is anything else going on with him.  

Answer 3

Autism has several cues to watch out for. We do what we call a CHAT assessment at around 18 mth of age, which is a type of autism screening test. We look for children giving eye contact when spoken to, do he/she point with a purpose, does the child play with toys normally, pretend play eg, making a cup of tea with a tea set, or playing with toy cars normally. Does the child engage and play with other children.

Your toddler may be just unwell, and may be in alot of pain with another ear or throat infection. Do see the Dr as soon as possible and speak to him regarding your concerns.

Hope all is well soon.