brooke Report post Posted June 1, 2009 Hi I have not been on here for quite a while so not sure if you will remember me but still pop in now and again! I was just wondering as a few weeks ago my son (8 asd) was very ill with Flu. Luckily i had picked him up from school early as there was a problem with the heating (at school) but i quickly realised there was something wrong. At first i asked if something had upset him but when i took his temp it was very high so i realised he was unwell. I had to call the dr out as he wasnt sure about how he was feeling so i wanted to make sure he was ok as he was quite poorly. Anyway the thing i was wondering is do you or your children with as/asd realise when you/they are ill? My son does not. He was ill for 5 days and kept asking me am i still not well when he was clearly very poorly. Is this something he will eventually learn, its very worrying to think he still doesnt know when he is unwell. Fortuately he is very rarely ill but im just wondering if he will ever be able to tell himself as i hate the thought of him being ill but unable to say what is wrong if he is at school or not with me. Brooke Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mumble Report post Posted June 1, 2009 I can find it difficult to judge, but more importantly difficult to communicate, when I'm feeling unwell. A lot of the questions you're asked when you say you don't feel well are very 'feelings' orientated and can be quite difficult to answer when you don't generally know how you feel on a 'normal' day. If you can't easily tell what's normal, how can you tell what's abnormal? One of the outcomes of my difficulty has been that I don't tend to seek help early on (when it would probably be easier to treat) and so often need more medical help. Knowing when I'm better is a tricky one - I do tend to think I'm better quicker and then make myself worse, but that's I think a lot more to do with being easily bored/frustrated and wanting to get back to my routine ASAP. I guess all you can do is, as you have done, seek medical advice if you are ever unsure. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sally44 Report post Posted June 1, 2009 I can only comment on my own son. But no, he often cannot tell when he is ill. Or maybe he can tell, but he can't tell me! I have put this down to a sensory integration problem, but it might be caused by other things. For example he can react with pain and anger at a sudden, light, unpredictable touch. But he can have an ear infection for days and not say anything. Infact the last time I only knew something was not right because one side of his face swelled up. When we went to the doctors they found he had an ear infection and again put him on antibiotics. But when I asked him the direct question "is your ear hurting you", he said "yes I cannot sleep at night". But prior to that he had not told me anything. So I don't know if he assumes I know what he knows. He has also damaged his achillies tendon at school and said nothing all day. When I went to collect him he could not walk. I had to take him to and from school for 6 weeks in a pushchair (he was 6). School were not helpful. They behaved as if I was making up what was wrong with him because he did not appear to be in pain at school, so I got a note from the doctor. I have included in a school 'passport' for my son that "if I am behaving or making noises like I am in pain or ill please ask me if something is hurting me and tell my mum". Recently we have had alot of espisodes of vomiting prior to school. That is mainly anxiety based, but can happen within seconds. Just recently I noticed, on one occasion, my son was rushing to get to the toilet to urinate and was worried he would wet himself. So I took him to the GP and had him swobbed, and it came back positive for an infection which he has taken antibiotics for. God knows how long he has had that infection for. And it is only because of past incidences that I even took him to the doctors on that occasion. Having spoken with the Developmental Paediatrician who diagnosed him, she said that if he was ever showing symptoms of thrush or other urinary problems to always get him swobbed. Other than that I have to ask him direct questions to get an answer. No information is ever volunteered. I was hoping that maybe he would improve as he grows up. And he might become more aware and more able to communicate. But from Mumbles post, it is also quite possible that how my son is, is how he will remain. Which is somewhat worrying because who is going to be observing him as an adult to watch for any signs of illness or pain? And I presume this is quite a common aspect of autism. In the same way that those on the spectrum can be unaware of other people, or their environment, I think it is quite plausible for them to be unaware of their 'internal sensations'. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
madme Report post Posted June 2, 2009 Don't wish to hijack the thread but I wondered if anyone's child had a difficulty knowing when they want to do a poo. My daughter (8 aspergers) seems to say she has stomach ache a lot which is clearly better once she has been on the loo. She was dx as having SID last year. Is this common? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mumble Report post Posted June 2, 2009 So I don't know if he assumes I know what he knows. That's a very good point and certainly true for me. I'm getting better at it, but I do still get stroppy when doctors ask me what's wrong with me (as in symptoms) because I know so they should know (even though writing that I know it sounds illogical). Also, if I have to see different doctors, I hate having to repeat myself - and a big part of that is anxiety that I might say something slightly differently and then nothing I'm saying will be believed. After all, if I don't say anything initially, I don't get any 'hard' questions to answer as a result... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
brooke Report post Posted June 2, 2009 Thanls for the replies its interseting to hear other peoples experiences. Im not sure if ds will ever be able to tell when he is pooly, even when he is sick i have about 2seconds notice (which is usually from guess work by looking at his face) before he throws up as he doesnt associate the feeling of feeling sick! With regards to the toilet issue he used to wait untill he had to go rather than just go but he is better at that now i think so he doesnt often have to wait for me to ask him if he need the loo anymore. Brooke Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
joybed Report post Posted June 2, 2009 When Marcus was really little he never used to tell me he was feeling ill. He used to become ill very suddenly (eg once i left him with DH while I nipped to weight watchers he was fine when i left when i returned 30 minites later his temp was 42 and he was floppy and unresponsive). He also never used to tell me how he felt poorly once he wet the bed had a high temp I assumed he had a urine infection the doc gave him a good exam and he had tonsilltis he said he had never thought to tell me he had had a sore throat for 3 days, I felt like the worse mother ever. Now he is 13 and he tells me is ill all the time literally not a day goes past when he doesn,t complain of headache or earache it is difficult to tell if it is genuine or not. We should have shares in ibuprofen. I once kept him of school for 4 days took him to the GP twice and he then confessed he had been making it up. Not sure what the answer is but i have to go very much by physical signs and symptoms. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
thomastank Report post Posted June 2, 2009 Brooke Hello, I think my son is the same. He's nearly 5 (hfa). He has never had a headache, tummy ache, sore throat etc. nothing that we can see. He has also never told me that he is hot/cold and this hot weather I have had to tell his teachers to take his jumper off when he starts getting hot as I know he won't do it himself. When he broke his leg just after his 1st birthday he started crawling around the hospital and the doctors didn't believe there was anything wrong (we knew there was because he could walk). I also remember him running through nettles when he was younger and not complaining, even though he was covered in a rash. I'm sure he does feel pain though as he will cry sometimes when he falls over etc. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
brooke Report post Posted June 2, 2009 you've just reminded me when ds was 5 he put his arms into a huge patch of nettles at school to get a ball and was hysterical, they had to call me to come and get him as they didnt know what was wrong! When i got there they realised what he had done as his arms were covered in stings but he couldnt tell them Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rachey Report post Posted June 2, 2009 Mine doesn't either. He had glandular fever last year and for those 3 weeks he just slept If I asked him, he would say he was tired. He is rarely ill, and the last time he had something nasty was chicken pox. He just asked me what the spots were Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
