Expert: Ettina - 10/4/2009

Question
My four year old grandson cry uncontrollably every time he is around a crying infant.  He attends pre school and does not seam to have any problem socializing with other children his own age.

Answer
Are you wondering if this is a sign of autism?
Well, autistic children can have hypersensitive hearing, which would make them get upset at loud noises, such as a baby crying. But kids can also have auditory hypersensitivity as part of a different disability (such as ADHD/LD) or by itself.
In addition, crying when a baby is crying could be a reaction not to the sound, but to the baby's emotions. In this case, it would indicate the opposite of autism - a child who is very socially sensitive, who feels strongly affected by what other people are feeling.