Loud Noises

[Maria-Alex]

Alex is becoming scared of loud noises, it started early this year when we had our sky dish fitted and the engineer used his drill, Alex ran to me screaming and was very hysterical, I am noticing it alot more now with large trucks and motorbikes, baby brother crying, music/tv to loud and barking dogs.

We was asked about him be scared of loud noises when we was getting him diagnosed but he wasn't afraid back then. Will it get worse as he grows up or are there ways of managing it, making him become more used to these noises again?

 

 

[purplehaze]

Hello Maria-Alex, my son has some noise sensitive issues also and I notice it is worse when he is more anxious. I can't hoover or use electric cooking mixers/blenders when he is in the house unless I have made it secure by shutting doors and he is upstairs etc (then it doesn't always work), he screams at cutlery noises on plates etc.

 

Your son could be more anxious for example you had a strange person (I assume with the Sky man) in your house that was making noise he wasn't use to, barking dogs may represent a scary dog etc etc. Try and keep a note of what noises he is having difficulty with and then you can try to introduce the noise through a noise game (lotto/CD-bought or home made) so he can get use to them etc it doesn't always help but sometimes it does. XXX

[Mum of 3]

I've tried every year for 3 years to go to the village bonfire party wit my DS. Each year he begs to go-and each year he starts to scream to come home as soon as the whizz-bangs start! It's organised by school and we can see it from home, so I can't avoid it!

So, we've just bought ear defenders (3 pairs...the others had to have them too!!!). For when the baby cries, or hoovering, etc, I give lots of explanation and reassurance, and we've had small success with an mp3 player loaded with stories.

[thomastank]

 

 

 

My son is sensitive to noises too. School bell, food mixers, train whistles, buzzers in shoe shops, dogs barking etc. We are teaching him to cover his ears as much as possible and try to give him warning ie tell him when we are switching the hoover on etc., telling him that a friends dog will bark when he goes to the door but will stop when everyone is in the house. He is better when he is in control of the noise, for example when he is allowed to ring the school bell (partly because he is inside and the bell is outside, switching on the hoover or food mixer and then I take over). A lot of the time it seems to be the anticipation of the noise as well as the actual noise. He seems to be more tolerant of the noise as he gets older (but still only 5).

[Samsam]

I have the same issues with my son and I asked about on here a few years ago and everyone kindly pointed me to these

http://www.google.co.uk/products?source=ig...ved=0CCAQrQQwAA

[Sally44]

The things to know about any sensitivity is that it may be down to Sensory Integration Disorder. If so that means their perception of any incoming sensory information can fluctuate. So the same experience can get a different response depending on their arousal state and also on the amount of other things going on as well. That is because some children cannot multi-process, so if they are listening to something they may lose their sense of smell or be unaware of something that would normally send their sense of smell into panic mode. And that is the same for all the senses. My son can be extremely oversensitive to noise, or he can enjoy popping balloons!

I have found that many times it is the 'control' element of it. By that I mean that sudden unpredictable noises really upset them. But if they are making the noise and can control it then they can experiment much more.

When my son was younger he used to wear DIY headphones that protect your ears from noise. That made him agreeable to going outside or going into new environments. I also paid for him to go to drum lessons, which he wanted to do. This enabled him to make noise in a controlled environment and also helped with one to one interaction.

His OT has also put him on a course of Auditory Integration Therapy called 'Listening with the Whole Body'. This was free via the community OT that sees him. I feel he did make progress not just with sound, but in all areas of functioning which may or maynot be down to the AIT.

But I think your first step would be to go back to the paediatrician that diagnosed him and ask for an referal to an OT that has experience of ASDs and SID. Then you really do need to just keep pushing for them to be involved. I was on the waiting list for 2 years, but it was worth it. I also managed to get OT provision included in my son's Statement.

I think there can be improvement over the years as the child develops and as you try various things with your child.

What can happen is that sometimes they make connections between things that can cause them to avoid certain situations that are not directly involved with the initial incidence.

For example there is an autistic adult that explained that when he was a child sitting on the lawn the neighbour put his head over the fence and shouted 'hello' to him. That sudden visual and auditory information frightened him and he associated that feeling with the 'grass' he was sitting on. From that moment he would become terrified at the sight or feel of grass on his feet. It took years before his mother found out what had caused it.

Another example I have heard is of a child that was frightened by a dog called Jack that had jumped up on him. From that moment he used the word 'Jack' to describe that frightened feeling. But obviously his parents had no idea what 'Jack' meant when used out of context and they had not associated it with the original incidence.

[Maria-Alex]

Thanks for the advice, its really helpful, and thanks for the reminder about bonfire night on its way, last year he was fine with it but I shall keep a close eye on his actions when the day comes.

 

It does happen alot more when he isn't in his comfort zone, he is getting a bit more used to his baby brothers cry now, he'll just cover his ears or goto another room. Maybe its because his cry has changed from the high cry to a moan which Alex known well from his own voice or maybe he is just getting used to it now.

 

The hoover is another noise he dislikes aswell, ever since we brought a new one infact , its alot more louder than the old.

 

Thanks again for the advice

Maria

[Sally44]

But the noises you mention are those that are typically difficult and often mentioned. Ie. baby crying, vaccum cleaner, power tools, etc. All DIY shops such as Homebase and B&Q stock ear defenders which just look like headphones. You could try him with those to see if they help. Afterall if the noise is causing him to have to leave the room, then these headphones may make it possible for him to remain. Then you need to think about what the next action to take is. If he has these types of difficulties he may find it hard or even impossible to concentrate during 'whole class' learning environments. My son used to zone out and become totally unaware of what anyone was saying. That is the point. They do learn coping skills. But in school your son may continually try to leave the classroom, and may learn to turn his hearing off. That is going to mean he 'appears' to be coping, but isn't actually hearing much in the classroom and will not make progress. So it would be much better to get his name on the waiting list to be assessed.

Our local NAS group and also our Autism Outreach Department have organised a speaker called Olga Bogdashina to speak to both parents and professionals about autism and particularly sensory issues. Her book 'Sensory and Perceptual Differences in Autism and Aspergers' has a cargivers questionnaire at the end of it that you can complete to get a picture of your child's sensory hyper and hypo sensitivities. This questionnaire is used by our own Autism Outreach Department and therefore I know it is considered reputable. Having completed the questionnaire I know that my sons sound, tactile and sense of smell are worst affected, although they are all sensitive to some extent. This has helped alot in understanding the cause of some of his behaviours and also helped school in adapting his environment.

As the child becomes older and more able to communicate it is important to tell them that they may not be experiencing things as you or others do. And it is also important that we never assume anything. You cannot walk into a room and assume your child is experiencing the same thing as you are. For example the child that toe walks, especially on patterned floors or changes in flooring is much more likely to have visual perceptual problems. The child that hugs the wall or fence line may also have visual perceptual problems as well as proprioceptive problems etc. All the senses interact to give us a clear and precise picture of our environment as it is happening in real time. Many autistic people do not get that information accurately or even in real time - so some experiences maybe experienced and processed after the actual event.

[smiley1590]

i can personally understand n sympathsie i hae same sensory issues with loud noises including motorbikes and dogs barking i used to hate drills when younger the noise of them i hate bonfire night all this equals to anxiety triggers and stress worry which feels 'out of control'!!! at best of times! mostly out in environment so it difficult to approach tackel and reduce noise levels to which we can bear at 'normal' pitch and level! is it just sound or touch n smell aswell that's affected by ASD???

 

 

http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=2427&a=3766

[bikemad]

My son hates loud noises esp hates bonfire night n fireworks but also discos/parties n the music n noise n if my other half is going to use the drill then my son will be found with ear plugs in n a pillow wrapped round his ears.

[Mumble]

The things to know about any sensitivity is that it may be down to Sensory Integration Disorder. If so that means their perception of any incoming sensory information can fluctuate. So the same experience can get a different response depending on their arousal state and also on the amount of other things going on as well.

This is the very difficult aspect of this to understand myself (I have problems with loud noises) and to explain to others. If I cope on one occasion (whether well or just holding it together) the assumption is that I can cope well in all situations and must somehow be putting the difficulties on - very frustrating.

 

I'm afraid I don't have a solution other than suggestion providing preparation and showing understanding and tolerance when things are difficult. Knowing that a noise is going to happen, why it is happening, how long it will happen and what will happen next may help.

 

Fireworks have started up around where I am and will get worse. This is an annual problem I think many of us have. I love fireworks, but on or around fireworks night, not going on for two months.

 

[suzy29]

Hi,

 

I was on this forum for a while but I couldnt find my details so I had to re register as I really wanted to reply to this message as I too suffer from a bad fear of loud noises. I am in my late 20s but it all started when I was very young and I have not been able to get over it and its steadily getting worse and this time of year because of firework season i feel I lose my freedom.

 

I did actually speak to someone about trying hypnosis and he gave me a couple of medical terms that i have never heard of before and said it might not just be a simple case of having a phobia. he said that people suffer from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperacusis. It does list autism and aspergers syndrome as possible causes and also chronic ear infections. I did suffer from bad ear infections when i was younger and ended up having to get an operation to have gromits put in my ears and I have AS too. I took the information to my doctor and she agrees that I should have my hearing tested to see if I hear things louder than I should.

 

I just thought I would share this information with you.

 

 

 

[Sally44]

This is the very difficult aspect of this to understand myself (I have problems with loud noises) and to explain to others. If I cope on one occasion (whether well or just holding it together) the assumption is that I can cope well in all situations and must somehow be putting the difficulties on - very frustrating.

 

I'm afraid I don't have a solution other than suggestion providing preparation and showing understanding and tolerance when things are difficult. Knowing that a noise is going to happen, why it is happening, how long it will happen and what will happen next may help.

 

Fireworks have started up around where I am and will get worse. This is an annual problem I think many of us have. I love fireworks, but on or around fireworks night, not going on for two months.

 

It is all the 'assumptions' that make things so much harder for everyone involved. I saw right from the beginning that my son coped with noises on some days and not on others. He would sometimes complain of noises I could not hear, or would adjust the TV volume so low I couldn't hear it - yet at other times he actively sought out noise. And as you say other people can understand that someone is sensitive to noise - but don't seem to be able to grasp that someone can be sensitive to a certain degree on one day and to a different degree the next. But you just have to watch the child's behaviour or believe what the adult is telling you. Afterall they are experiencing it.

[Sally44]

Hi,

 

I was on this forum for a while but I couldnt find my details so I had to re register as I really wanted to reply to this message as I too suffer from a bad fear of loud noises. I am in my late 20s but it all started when I was very young and I have not been able to get over it and its steadily getting worse and this time of year because of firework season i feel I lose my freedom.

 

I did actually speak to someone about trying hypnosis and he gave me a couple of medical terms that i have never heard of before and said it might not just be a simple case of having a phobia. he said that people suffer from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperacusis. It does list autism and aspergers syndrome as possible causes and also chronic ear infections. I did suffer from bad ear infections when i was younger and ended up having to get an operation to have gromits put in my ears and I have AS too. I took the information to my doctor and she agrees that I should have my hearing tested to see if I hear things louder than I should.

 

I just thought I would share this information with you.

 

 

That is interesting. Is the hyper sensitive hearing always at the same level or can it fluctuate?

 

Another condition to consider is Auditory Processing Disorder where certain sounds are heard incorrectly, or certain abilities such as screen out ambient sounds, cannot be done leading to frustration or anxiety. Both my son and I have this but have different symptoms.