Ear, nose, and throat problems may be linked to autism in young children

In a longitudinal cohort that followed 10,000+ children throughout their first four years, early evidence of mouth breathing, snoring, pulling/poking ears, ears going red, hearing worse during a cold, and rarely listening were associated with high scores on each autism trait and with a diagnosis of autism. Results suggest the need for identification and management of ENT conditions in autistic children and may provide possible indicators of causal mechanisms.