Hearing issue or sign of Autism?

[Susiejo77]

Honestly, I'm at a loss to what is going on with my son. My son is now 22 months old and currently is non responsive to his name but also when I clap behind his head, he doesn't respond to it and turn?

Bit of history, I remember taking him to the doctors when he was only 6 months old, as i thought he couldn't hear me, they checked the ears said they were fine and I put it to the back of my mind. Then my son started nursery and at 12month old that when I started to notice he wouldn't respond to me calling his name at pick up in the busy nursery room, if he saw me he'd come running, but if he had his back to me, or was side on then he wouldn't hear me/respond. We finally got him grommets at 17 months old, I was hoping for a switch on moment but alas this didn't happen, I remember him struggling to locate sound after the operation (he'd look both ways unsure where the sound was coming from) that soon settled down and we did see improvements in his concentration, wanting to take part in circle time and sitting still for longer - before he just wasn't interested, he did his own thing and wondered off, he started to join in on the nursery ryhme signs, clapping etc... although still not on demand and has started to point to things in books for me to say what they are, improvements were slow but we did see progress, like making more sounds babbling, I heard ffff's, shhhhh, sounds i'd not heard before and trying to say a few words - although they aren't entirely clear and mumbled 'na na' for banana and finally he didn't start responding to his name consistently until he was 20months old, I was so relieved I thought it must have been his hearing after all. Then, he got a severe cold and the was up until 4am in the morning struggling with it and from that very next day onwards he's not responded to his name again and now I've just tried clapping behind his head and he doesn't seem to turn or react at all to the clap. I'm so confused as to what is going on with him he seems to hear the tv?

When you get to the hearing test get them to make sure the grommets are still in place. It's possible they have come out, which is what they're meant to do but not normally as quick as this, and his ears are glued up again.

My dd still has a grommet in one ear which they're leaving be as the other ear where the grommet came out still glues around this time of year. It does clear now, but more slowly than a normal child.

They may also check adenoids and tonsils out if they haven't previously as they can both effect glue retention.

I hope you get your answers at the test.

This is sounding more and more like a probable hearing problem to me OP. Obviously no one on here is going to be able to gather enough information to 'diagnose' either way, but as someone who has worked in diagnostic services for ASD I'd be pursuing the hearing route first to definitively rule that out. (Although as I said this does sound like it's possibly his hearing to me!)

Fingers crossed you get some answers soon x

Thank you all! I will let you know how the hearing test goes on Wednesday

My daughter is asd and was diagnosed at 2. She didn't speak or respond to us really at all at that age but she did get startled by loud noises so it was obvious she could hear something (turns out she had allergies blocking her ear tubes, antihistamines cured it). BTW she's fully verbal and attending university currently - not bad for a girl who we were told at 3 she may never talk!

Anniehm, that is amazing, so pleased for you she is doing you proud! I’m very confused by my son’s behaviour, one minute I think he must have hearing issues the next I’m not convinced and I think you can hear, if I say “Jude Snack” he looks at my hands.

Annie well done to your daughter, and to you. I hope she really enjoys it. It's so lovely to hear these things when I'm focussed on very mundane things like how to convince DS to leave the house.

OP the turning your face sounds really sweet and insightful of him. Hope you get the answers you want on Weds.

Another one for an audiology referral. Hearing loss can be caused by more than just glue ear, so grommets may not help.

He had his hearing test yesterday and he passed it. In the assessment he was playing intently with a bead maze and didn't react to any of the assessment instruments. Then the audiologist asked me if I had a game or something he liked, I said I had a game on my iPhone. She said turn the sound down very low and she walked up behind him, put the iPhone near his ear and he turn right round. Based on this as it was at 30 decimals - she measured it somehow - they said he had normal hearing.

I'm totally at a loss now and I think he must be on the spectrum, I've cried pretty much constantly since.

That is a shit audiologist. She walked up behind him and put the phone to his ear. Did he turn around because he had a phone by his ear and sensed it or because he heard it? Go back and talk to the ENT. Every single audiology test has involved massive headphones and a booth from about age 4/5. Before that it was a sensor in the ear and absolute silence with no one moving.

Also, did they check his tubes in his ears? Are they in properly or growing out? My nephew had to have them put in a 2nd time because they started to grow out and his ears weren't clearing again properly.

Yes I did think, this isn’t the most sosphicated of tests and at a private assessment too. I do have a appointment for a nhs ent and see what they say, that’s not until mid Jan though. They said grommets are inplace, clear and there is no glue ear.

Gosh. I am sorry to hear that.

Honestly what do you think is more likely, he has autism or you paid for a really crap assessment?

The whole "wait 3 months, come back" routine is standard with audiology, though difficult to live with as a parent, so waiting until Jan really isn't the end of the world. But I wonder if it's worth escalating your experience of that appt to a supervisor at the clinic?

You would think there was a more accurate way of testing a younger child’s hearing than that as your right - he could have just felt her prescience behind him.

The audiologist said to me he’s choosing not to respond to you. She did take the musical instructments close up behind him and then when he didn’t respond she touch his ears and said if he didn’t now she was there or hear the sound he would have been started or looked round. It’s all baffling to me.

Now I can only think that when he responds to “Jude snack” or comes running when I call his name at nursery pick up - is that because it’s what he wants to respond to. Any other time it doesn’t interest him and he’s in his own world. So his responding just switch off like that!! It’s like what happened in his head to say, you know what I’m fed up of responding to you, I’m not going to do it anymore useless it’s when you pick me up from nursery or you have a snack?!

That is really shit audiology. Getting too engrossed in the bead maze (or whatever) is a frequent issue at this age in hearing tests but you deal with it by finding something slightly less interesting that they don't get quite so engrossed in, not by walking around and holding things up to his head. Or at 22 months he may still be young enough for behavioural audiometry rather than play-based.

Wanttobesupermum you mentioned a test - Before that it was a sensor in the ear and absolute silence with no one moving? Is that for toddlers? I need that test I think. Hopefully the nhs will do it this way!

At 24m my DS listened to beeps and put a block in the box, or a person in the bus, when he heard a beep. They changed the game whenever he started to lose interest or if he just didn't fancy it.

He certainly didn't understand everything they were saying to him but he did pick up enough to play the game.

They put the sensor in which made a noise but I have no idea how it works or if it would be something that is right for your child. They told me its how they test for children too young for the blocks.

Omg my son would understand to put blocks in, he doesn’t really understand much instructions. I’d always put that down to him being hard of hearing so a long time 😬

No I think mine was on the young side, maybe yours is still too little full stop. Mine didn't understand what they were saying - I remember being furious at the time that they were expecting a child who was there because of suspected hearing issues to follow what they were saying! Of course he didn't! But they got me to demonstrate hearing the noise, putting the block in, big cheers all round etc and he did catch on. A bit like dog training. I think there was a plan B if he hadn't got it, and I'm fairly sure that wouldn't have involved getting him engrossed in something else then holding a phone up to his ear.

My DD was older when she first went to ent but young enough they used a game method. But one time ds was with us and wanted to join in (he was under 2 at the time) and as we were the last patients they let him have a go and he got it. They said at least we didn't have to worry about ds' hearing 😂. They were also very good whenever they realised dd was either just engrossed so not doing it properly and switched game. They never tested her by holding something up against her ear whilst she was playing with something. It's likely he felt her or the nearness of the phone rather than heard it iyswim.

My son was referred for various assessments after a lot of pushing from me and after "failing" his 2.5yr check. The first thing they did was have an audiologist see him. He isn't able to follow instructions and doesn't really play with toys so he was in a booth with them blowing bubbles. Then a certain pitch or sound would play and a toy would light up and dance to the left or right. They had someone outside the booth playing a variety of sounds at different pitches and monitoring where he turned. If you had come up behind him with a phone he'd have sensed it regardless of hearing!
My son was diagnoses with autism this year which is what we knew all along. The hearing test confirmed he could hear all the sounds and pitches required to form language. He is currently still non verbal.
As pp have said, can't diagnose over the internet but that hearing test did not sound very good at all and personally it still sounds like a hearing issue to me. My son showed difficulties from 18 months and despite pushing for help not much really happened til he was coming up to age 3.
If you really are concerned about autism then perhaps make notes on his play and interaction. He is still very young but is he making eye contact, does he attempt to copy you if you do actions to songs etc (like wind the bobbin up). Does he play with certain toys in a repetitive way or seem more fascinated in turning the wheels of a car rather than pushing it along? Does he show any signs of sensory issues- hand flapping, walking on tiptoes, extreme distress at some textures/food/smells/bright lights?
My son was able to make eye contact and was learning a few words and copying my actions before 18 months, but that all disappeared before age 2.
Sorry that was longer than I meant it to be!

So did they have the big light-up flashy exciting toy when/if they played sounds and he looked round?

Honestly, they sound almost like they are doing the HV-level "hearing tests" from forty years ago, with their "well, if he hadn't heard me he'd have been surprised" business.

Yes I just chatted with my husband about that test and I feel now he totally could have sensed her. We will now see what the nhs ent say, but I will tell them I’m not happy with that private test.

KoalasAteMyHomework He son has ok eye contact, sometimes it’s brilliant and he really looks into your eyes, cuddle time and coo’s, when I sing nursery rhymes he really looks at me, however reading books he never looks up - he always looks at the pictures and when you get very close to him he won’t look at you then. I don’t know if he has a personal space thing going on, then if someone got in my face I probably wouldn’t like it. His understanding is bad though, he only understands on a basic level, say “let’s go” “no” “snack” “be careful” that sort of thing. He doesn’t repetitive play, he does love cars, but drives them, but has recently become more interested in puzzles and completes these. However he doesn’t imaginatively play, you know pretend cooking stuff, and he doesn’t draw, he’s just not interested. I need to try harder with that. He does do the wind the bobbin up signs but not on demand. It’s a horrible feeling that sinking feeling. Who know what’s going on with him, I’d rather know sooner, the waiting/not knowing is a killer

TragicallyUnbeyachted No flashing exciting toys no, a bed mace which he gets deep in playing with and then her walking around with musical instruments, walking up slowly behind him.