The growth and development of children is a natural progression. When any aspect of a child's development is not where it should be by a certain age, it is worth investigating further. Sometimes, some tests can reveal very important information about your child's development that may not have been revealed until later. There are audiological signs that your child may have autism, and an early audiological test when your child is not yet two may reveal it. Here are the audiological early warning signs that your child may have autism.
Sensory-Defensive When It Comes to Noise
Infants and toddlers love movement, colors, lights, and just about anything that makes noise. Children who are developing autistically will switch from enjoying some or none of these sensory input things to screaming and crying when objects make a sound. They may even dislike sound completely and startle easily at sounds louder than voices talking.
An audiologist does some tests on young toddlers for sensory-defensiveness in regards to sound. These tests are usually conducted when there is suspicion of an auditory nerve problem, but the results of the test can tell a lot about children who are developing along autistic lines. If your child cries repeatedly or cries nonstop through part or all of these tests, you may want to watch him/her carefully for other sensory-defensive reactions to sight and touch.
Your Child Appears to Be Overstimulated and Overwhelmed
If you drove to the audiologist's office in a quiet car, and then five to twenty minutes into the audiology tests your one-and-one-half-year-old begins to scream, cry, cover their ears, etc., your child might have autism. Children with autism are easily overstimulated and overwhelmed when one or more of their senses are bombarded.
They lack inner filters to stop the stimulus beyond the intended purpose of the stimulus. Ergo, their response is one of inward terror, frustration, and/or exhaustion. If your audiologist has to stop any of the tests because your child is unable to finish testing without seeming overwhelmed and bursting into torrents of tears, the audiologist might request a series of sedated tests where your child is sedated while the audiologist checks and tests the audiological nerves and inner ear structures.
Your Child Constantly Covers Their Ears
When your child constantly covers their ears as though the testing sounds are too loud (which they are not), your child might have autism. Most sounds involved in audiological tests are rather quiet because the audiologist is checking for deafness. When your child reacts as though the sounds are jet planes taking off and they desperately try to cover their ears and escape/retreat from the sounds, take note and tell your pediatrician.
