Many children with autism have auditory sensitivities to specific sounds. Covering their ears is one way to lessen the auditory input.
Franklin cannot tolerate some random sounds. If we are in the garden for example and he hears a motorbike in the distance or a helicopter in the sky, he will run inside, curl up in a ball and rock with his ears covered. Certain adverts on the TV cause him to cover his ears, as does road noise. He often does it at the supermarket too. The hoover and hairdryer have a massive sensory impact on him also.
It doesn’t have to a be particularly loud noise, Tabitha can sing and screech at the top of her lungs in his face and he doesn’t even flinch! It’s specific frequencies that seem to affect him. When he hears multiple sounds simultaneously, its almost impossible for him to pay attention to any task in hand.
We are trialing ear defenders at the minute. I’m trying to get him initially comfortable with having them on his ears (it’s been a work in progress thus far!). The hope is he will eventually realise the benefit of wearing them (I can’t explain it to him due to his limited communication understanding) and then he can select to wear them whenever or wherever a sound becomes too much for him to bear.
Today was a roaring success. He managed an almost full party at his friends birthday bash thanks to the help of the earphones! Oh and he looks a total dude in them too 🎧🤟🏻
Spinning in Circles 