If your NT child is/was afraid of hand-driers do you have any tips?

[suzikettles]

Ds is nearly 4 and has always had a problem with loud noises such as the hoover. No real extreme reactions, he just doesn't like them and will run to another room if the hoover is on.

The only thing that really causes a problem is his fear of hand-driers in public toilets. He now puts his hands over his ears as soon as we go into the toilets and gets quite upset if someone else is in there as he knows they'll use the drier.

He still has regular accidents and is reluctant to go to the toilet - worse when we're out because of the drier problem.

I will admit to on occasion taking him to the disabled toilet when he's obviously needed to go and is refusing because of the drier/getting very upset - the Dyson style ones are particularly bad.

Anyway, he's NT, he is ok with the drier at nursery now ("it's very quiet" apparently) so there is some progress, but if any of you have any tips that helped with your noise-sensitive child I'd love to hear them.

The cubicle conversations along the lines of "just do it quickly ds" "but the lady's going to use the drier...mumeeeee she's using the drier!" are getting really wearing. And it's horrid for ds obv.

No real tips I'm afraid, but my dd(3) was always fine with them until the day we encountered a dyson one, and is now like your ds. If I suggest using the toilet when we're out the first thing she says is 'dry your hands on the tissue mummy', which is what I do. I sometimes sneakily knock the dryer on if i think it might be a quiet one, and if shes standing a fair distance from it, and if it is quiet I can usually get her to come and try it. Havent managed to progress to the loud ones yet though. It must be hard for them though as the noise comes from just above their heads, whereas we're so much further above it. Good luck!

Yes, I have to promise not to use the drier in advance of us entering a public toilet too.

I've just realised that he likes using the hairdrier now - that makes no sense . Maybe I need to start making a link between hand-driers and hairdriers.

Although some hand-driers are really loud and I guess you don't really know what you're going to get until you switch one on.

I did a wee search through the archives and it looks like I'll just have to wait until he grows out of it.

To make it easier along the way with dryer fearer ds1 I had a notice, that said 'out of order' in my bag, that I would blue tack on the playground toilets dryer cos otherwise he'd have to go home for a poo!

Ds1 grew out of it in the end.

Ds1 is autistic-I think you'll miss a lot of valuable tips by excluding sn mums from your question.

can't stand them myself either! None of my dc like them, so we just dry hands on jeans/ loo roll. I just whisk them out if someone else is using the dryer. It gets slightly easier when they're older, but the only way is just get in and out fast...

(and don't get me going on U.S. loos that automatically flush with a huge whooshing noise...)

That's a fabulous tip. Hmmm, I feel some laminating coming on.

I didn't mean to exclude sn mums - I suppose I just meant that there's no reason (that we know) for him to have this particular sensory sensitivity. It didn't need to go in the title though, you're right.

What is NT? My DD was horrified by hand driers until last month...we encountered one and she said "It's ok, I don't mind them now" she just turned 6. She is very sensitive and so am I...I still hate handriers...and ambulances and revving engines!

My dd was the same. I always used the disabled loos to be honest as she would be hysterical at the mear threat of someone daring to wash their hands. That and her learning to use them at school - they're quieter - and getting reward stickers from her teacher for doing so, really helped. She is generally ok with them now. I think they also grow out of these things - I remember worrying it would last forever!

What NT by the way?

Copious amounts of anti-bac gel so he could run in and out without having to use them. We also buy the little rubber ear plug things as they lessen the noise a bit

Oh yes, like maud says - tons of antibac for when loos with hand dryers can't be avoided. Rush in, do business, rush out!

dd is like this with handriers and toilets on planes and trains

she is not too bad if she isn't too close to the drier when someone is using it

i don't make her dry her hands, just shake off the water

on planes and trains i got her to cover her ears and gave her plenty of warning before i flushed

it was worse on hols as we seemed to go lots of places that had motion sensor toilets that flushed automatically - she scared the pee out of herself (literally ) whilst wiggling on one such toilet

good luck, i hope it passes

NT means Neurologically Typical - (not a child with special needs) eg: autism, sensory disorders etc. Sensitivity to noises is a symptom of many special needs diagnosis. However, many NT children hate sudden or loud noises. I have one NT boy who hated big lorries whizzing by, but loved the hairdryer and used to go to sleep with it. The other who is ADHD loves everything really loud .... except for the toilet flush, that freaks him out

dd1 got over the noise after usuing the ikea one that has gives out coloured lights when your hands are under it.

I also think they are scary for little children as sometimes they have devtector movement and start when the child walks under it. That's how DS started being scared of them. I always carry hand gel cleaner in my bag in case. I also encourage him to imitate noises that he is scared of and try to get him to make a louder noise than tht machine. It makes hin laugh, and usually he gets over his fear. It doesn't always work.

blasted things.
I have had trouble coaxing ds into lots of toilets because he has seen something he thinks is a hand-drier - paper towel holder, vending machine etc

oddly my 2 don't mind the Dysons so much because the feel funny and tickly.

no tips, just feel your pain....

This is really helpful for me - my 2.6yo DS has this phobia. Usually okay with hoover and hairdryer although occasionally freak him out but really cannot cope with hand driers and now at an age where he can beg me not to use them. Will be trying some of these tips!

Those Dyson dryers are EVIL! Can't stand being anywhere near them when one of them is going!

Same here, both DCs (6 and 4) have this problem, but it has definitely got easier as they get older. Same tips as everyone else really, wipe dry on jeans, or if it is the hated auto wash/dry things avoid altogether and use wipes/gel. Promise them beforehand that you will not use the dryer.

Had a few nightmare nappy changes with DD in public loos with DS getting hysterical because we had to put up with people using dryers.

DS got a reward at school when he finally used a dryer at the end of Year R.

She still hates the Dyson ones but they are ridiculous and sound like a plane taking off!

My nearly 4 year old was cured of his phobia of the traditional hand dryer; and he was bad, by watching his two little cousins sticking their heads underneath and messing up their hair. Something that funny couldn't be scary. Can't speak for the dyson ones yet - maybe they could be hand ticklers?

I got DD a towel with her name on for preschool but arranged for her preschool leader to make sure she went to the loo with a slightly older girl she was in awe of. Within a week she was copying her friend and using the driers.

I'm sure it's not as simple as this for you, but peer pressure can sometimes help. :)

DS is now nervous of them but we told him they were powered by dragons and he's now v curious and this outweighs his worry.

Thanks for all the responses. It's good to know we're not alone.

funny is a good strategy.

My son's phobia was so bad that it became very dangerous. When I threatened to take him to the toilet in Legoland Manchester, he ran for his life and got lost.

Believe it or not, it got to the point where Dyson kindly agreed to courier the empty shell of an airblade drier to me so I could use it as a toy at home (I put my hairdrier inside it to make the noise). This helped, but what really make the difference was buying him "ear defenders" like you use at festivals. They are lime green and quite cool. He still takes them into public toilets at motorway service stations, etc.

For small children, it's the lack of control over when the driers turn on, not just the noise itself.

Strategies we have used on the special needs board in the past include setting one off and allowing the child to count how long the noise continues before it finishes. The child can even be outside the toilet if necessary (if it's an airblade, they'll still hear it no problem). This gives them a distraction and makes them feel they have some element of control.

he isn't NT.

Off to look for ear-defenders.