Regression? And stress

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Is there any age with older children (not the less than threes) that regression or serious escalation of autistic symptoms is common? It just seems like my five and a half yar old is going backwards. He has starting sucking his thumb and chewing on his fingers and lips--until he has his chin all red and sore. He never did anything like that until the last few months.

He has started playing with his poop, something he did do for a while last year, but had stopped. He's been potty trained since a few days before his 2nd birthday, but in the last week, he has peed his pants multiple times and now pooped his pants twice. I think the pooping is related to constipation--because he's decided that he doesn't want to go so he holds it until he's miserable and ends up with leakage. I can understand that. He's on miralax per his Dr, and I think I poured too much in his shake this morning, because I was in a hurry, so I see how it happened today, but the playing in it? He was covered. I had to give him a bath before church and then he did it again at church. Covered before I could get his clothes off him.

Everything is escalating. Whenever we go out lately people feel compelled to come up to me and tell me about their autistic relatives. He has started doing this thing where he flops around with all four fingers stuffed in his mouth, repeating something and laughing hysterically. Repeating isn't new, but the rest is. He's decided that he can only hear soft classical music--nothing with words. Public bathroom flushing has him screaming--something that hasn't happened since he was three.

I've got all my family members up in arms at me that there is nothing wrong with him. Even the ones that accept that my oldest is autistic, and the oldest is much more mild on the autism spectrum. My mom's opinion is, "He's shy, manipulative, and a spoiled rotten brat. I've never seen anything that would make me think there's anything else going on." Even though she has been around him a lot. It's all really, really getting to me.

Ignore or reframe the comments from your family.

Is there anything new going on in your son's life?

What is it you need most--an explanation for your son's behavior or a bit of relief from a stressful life?

I think I most needed yesterday a safe place to say that. One of those times when I just got overwhelmed. I would like some help in trying to figure out what's going on with him though.

The only new thing was Christmas break, which involved his brothers being home from school (stressful for all of us) and my sister staying for two weeks, but that was over a couple of weeks ago. (and the escalation started before the break) He isn't in school, so nothing from that front.

He's been in a rare communicative mood today (he talks constantly, communicates not so much), and told me he's afraid of the bathroom, because there are strange noises in there. The plumbing in the bathtub does make some strange noises for hours after someone has taken a bath and we have people taking baths in both morning and evening, so it does it most of the day. So I think he's not wanting to stay long enough to do his business. I tried standing there with him, and he was willing to sit for a while, so that was some progress.

If we can get him going on a regular basis again, then I think these other bathroom related issues will not be a problem.