Temperature Sensitivity
Increased sensitivity to outdoor or indoor temperatures has been mentioned on web chat sites and at AS parent meetings. These problems include apparent increased warmth to the skin or increased irritability and hyperactivity when a child with AS is in a warm room or in a room without air conditioning. In these situations, a bona fide fever (e.g., high core body temperature) is rarely ever observed. Individuals with AS appear to sweat normally and thus it appears that they are able to adequately cool themselves. It may be that the apparent increased sensitivity to heat is the result of a neuro-vascular or neuro-sensory phenomenon that affects only the microcirculation of the skin surface. This is only speculation however. At this time it seems fair to conclude that those with AS may have increased sensitivity to heat but it is uncertain if this is a problem unique to AS or if it is something observed in other conditions involving developmental delay.
Occasionally, a hypothermia event has been noted, often in the context of multiple medication use or associated with a common medical illness. In these observances, the core body temperature has been documented to be abnormally low. In these cases (which are very rare) it appears that the hypothermia is not a recurrent or chronic problem and it usually resolves in a day or two.