Anaesthetics and autism?

[JazzyJ]

Ds is going in for gromits and adanoids in June, but DH just read in Freaks ,geeks and asbergers that the type of anaesthetic they normally use can have an opposite effect on autistic people. Do any of you have any knowledge or experience with this?
Also, I have been priming ds (4)and all he keeps saying is 'ears are fine now mummy, all better', even though he has failed his last 3 hearing tests and glue ear has been the verdict. Any hints on making the experience any less stressful for him (and dh and me).
Thanks Jx

Anaesthetics can have a strange effect on autis, but not always. I think sometimes its the pre-med that sends them up the wall.

Ask if you can talk to the anaesthetist about it beforehand. If you do a google seach I suspect you'll find lots of info.

Do you have any way you prepare your son for events he's going to find difficult? Visual timetables or anything? Whenever I've had to take my son to hospital I've just said something like, hospital, then blood test then home. But he's non-verbal so he wouldn't understand any further explanation anyway. But maybe emphasise that he will be going home afterwards- thats the sort of stuff that freaks my son out.

First, are you absolutely sure he failed his hearing tests because of his hearing IYSWIM? Did they use one of those high tech beeping machine thingies or make noises etc and expect him to pay attention?
WHen my son had an EEG the sedation hardly affected him, they gave him 2 jabs i.e. double dose, and he was out for 12 minutes!!! In fact, the first time we went I phoned ahead to ask how they would sedate him and was told they'd give it to him as liqued. I explained that he wouldn't take anything like that at home but they told me not to worry so I was all agog to see how the professionals do it so I could learn something. They couldn't do it and we had to go home He's also had general twice, both times had to have the mask held over his face which was horrible but very quick. Each time he was VERY perky afterwards, we were on our knees having got up early but he was back to normal very quickly.
Sorry, this doesn't help you with the technicalities of which anaesthetic has what effect but maybe will help you ask some questions.

I think visual timetables are great, I think I may try a social story for this one , thanks for refreshing my memoryJx

Davros, they used the very hightech method of getting him to put pegs in holes when he heard the beeping noise, but also they put some kind of ultra sound thing in his ear which I think measures the space in the middle ear, he got a flat line both times which apparently means his ears were full of gunk. I do think his hearing is much better but he still has trouble breathing because of his adanoids, he sounds like some kind angry beast with a bad cold. So i'm in a bit of a quandry as to go ahead with the gromits anyhow to see if they do make a difference, because he's going to be under (hopefully) anyway with the adanoids coming out?
Gromits do seem to have made an awful lot of difference to friend's children's language and communication, but the autism is so high functioning in ds that it's hard to know how to distinguish it from what's 'normal'or what may be the glue ear. I guess it would be a kind of experiment with the gromits, but if it is going to help him it's worth it isn't it ?

Yes I think it probably is worth it I know that lots of children on the spectrum do suffer from ear infections, glue ear etc. But there's also the other set, like mine, whose hearing is fine but various "professionals" (crap HVs!) start out by suspecting ear/hearing problems ans sometimes push parents in that direction up to and including gromits when not really needed. I bet it won't be nearly as bad as you're expecting as we found that but that's not much help now.

The HV I have couldn't even get it together to refer ds for a hearing test, let alone language and communication or any kind of developmental referal. It was a nursery nurse who got our ball rolling on all fronts! Even the GP just kept on dishing out the ear drops and anti bacs.