Piece By Piece: Fevers Make For Warm Conversation

Fevers, usually the first sign of a fever for my daughters is they get quiet. With Peter, who has PDD-NOS, it is the exact opposite. I know to reach for the thermometer when he begins speaking a great deal.

There are message boards and anecdotal evidence that go back decades that a rise in temperature increases verbal ability in many with an autistic spectrum disorder.  On The International Center for Autism Research and Education website, Linda Ruggiero, Ph.D., wrote that parent observations were finally given attention in 1980 when a number of children at Bellevue Psychiatric Hospital in New York became verbal when an infection hit the ward.

Just last weekend, Peter had a fever. At its height of 102, he was just miserable, but as it went down and he hovered in the 99s, we had quite a chatty fellow in the house. When Peter was younger I was amazed at the vocabulary he had when he was warm, nowadays it is pure volume.

He talked about everything from his favorite television shows to all he was thinking about in terms of Christmas. I love knowing what is going on in his head. These moments give me hooks for the non-feverish times. I can often ask him something based on the fever information and create a conversation that may not have occurred.

In the summer, we call Peter “the air conditioner police.” He walks around the house shutting them off saying, “You are freezing my brain.” Based on how he reacts to temperature, I think that is exactly what he means. When Peter is cold he can’t think.

There are now a number of studies being conducted to determine what changes really occur and why. Ruggiero wrote, “All of the researchers involved in these studies stress the dangers associated with attempting to induce fevers as therapeutics in children with ASDs.”

I won’t try to induce a fever, but I do usually keep Peter a layer or two warmer than the rest of us. When he wants long sleeves in spring, I don’t fight it. When Peter does have a fever, I also try to make the most of it. It is wonderful to talk with Peter and learn more about how he thinks and feels.

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