Gonna address the original question first: ABR testing, while relatively reliable, is also very limited in the information it provides, and cannot, in any way, be related to actual function. Sedated or unsedated, the only thing that ABR can tell you is at what dB level and at what Hz the brain is automatically responding to auditory stimuli. Fortunately, there is much more involved in processing that stimuli than what can be shown on an ABR. Simpy determining the levels required to get response in the brain does not tell us how that stimuli is processed, how meaningful that stimuli is to the receiver, whether that individual will actually be able to make use of that stimuli, or how well they will be able to make use of that stimuli. For instance, an ABR can tell us that a child does not respond until 90 dB, and at Hz well below the speech banana. However, it does not account for the great numbers of individuals that show audiograms identical to this that are able to make use enough of residual hearing with HAs to actually perceive and discriminate speech sounds into meaningful stimuli. The same can be said for the many that would show levels in the moderate range with some perception in the speech banana that are unable to make use of that residual hearing for speech purposes at all. This is because there is so much more involved than the brain simply receiving stimuli. So while the ABR may be considered reliable, it is not predictive of future functioning, nor is it valid for determining such. The results are very, very limited in usefulness.
Re: the implications that your child may be suffering from autism: I doubt it very, very seriously. I have seen in the many photos I have looked at that Frankie does not avoid eye contact; a hallmark behavior seen in children who fall on the autistic spectrum. Neither does he avoid being touched, and according to your most recent post of him following his sister around and vocalizing, does he shun social contact. If he appeared, early on, to be difficult to engage, it was more likely due to his attention not being attracted by sounds. Now that he has been wearing his HAs, and according to your reports, he is engaged much more easily. That would not be so if he were autistic.
Re: his objections to solid foods and the suggestion that eating might be causing him pain. You are the mother of several children, and I would suggest that if any of your children were experiencing physical pain, you would be the first to be aware of it. In fact, you would no doubt be the one to inform the professionals that your child was in pain. What you describes sounds much more like a tactile aversion.
As always, I look forward to hearing about the little guy's progress.
