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.

Am really interested in this thread as ds(7) has some very peculiarisms and reading this makes me think that they could be linked to his hearing.

I know he did have very sensitive hearing as at nearly 4 his hearing was hospital tested as he was late to speech. He is extremely quietly spoken too.

He has never tolerated sudden noises (cannot abide fireworks eg.) and has also been known to run from the classroom at some noise outside that nobody else has even clocked. Some noises give him an upset tummy (the dentists drill, the noise of a merrygoround) and he has to be moved pretty quickly.

He absolutely hates, hates, hates public toilets and have never really got to the bottom of it but have never, until now, considered the hand dryers. He happiest using our home toilet but there are all sorts of issues re staying in the bathroom to wash hands, flush toilet, use paper etc. Tbh I always considered this a 'boy thing' - have a girl who is and always has been , brilliant at hygiene, but have always niggled that his behaviour is extreme and there may be more to it.

His teacher has flagged up problems with him not responding to questions and being very easily distracted and has asked whether he is easily distracted by background noise. I think this highly possible but the hospital did all those years ago say he would grow out of his sensitive hearing and assumed that it would be almost 'better' by now.

Any advice?

DS1 was the same with hand driers until he turned 6 and then he wasn't bothered by them any more, he even likes using them now. I have no idea why he changed.

I've never grown out of my sensitive hearing. Someone with experience of this DID recommend I get Panasonic "noise cancelling" headphones, as they screen out the irritating noise, yet you can still hear people speak, apparently.

I used to be terrified of them when I was little. Also the toilets flushing at school. Once I walked under the dryer in McDonalds and my Dad had to come into the Ladies to rescue me (I don't remember!)

I definitely grew out of it :) But I do still struggle to hear things when there is background noise going on.

In my case it was because I had glue ear as a toddler and had grommets put in so suddenly everything was loud and loud noises were terrifying. I remember walking to school when there were workmen drilling in the road and constantly having my hands over my ears as we walked past them. I hated fire drills as well.

Dh was a bit like this as a very young child. In his case he was particularly scared of the big fan type a/cs you get in DIY shops etc. From what he can remember and from what his parents worked out he was actually scared of something these things don't do - he thought they would suck him up whereas of course they were actually blowing out. I wonder if that's worth thinking about for some children - do they understand what's actually making the noise and what it's purpose is? Or is it just a very noisy monster thing that wants your hands and then who knows what horror lies in wait....
Dd3 isn't hugely keen but will let me pick her up and hold her nearish.

Don't know what NT means () but if it helps, this was the first indication - not picked up on for a few years - that my daughter had a Sensory processing Disorder (i.e is dyspraxic).

Good idea NorthernLurker to explain why it makes the noise and what it's doing.

BCBG - how was your DDs dyspaxia picked up? Just wondering.....mmmmmmmm.

MaryBS - as an adult can you describe what it's like, background noise? Do you have to really concentrate on what people are saying eg. or have you grown out of it as you've grown older?

suzikettles - sorry about this but I'm wondering if there is something I should be doing/following up with DS. Thanks for the post btw

fab - she wasn't identified until year 2, even though all the signs were there all the time : she never crawled, walked at 25 months, hated weight-bearing as a baby, disliked sand on her feet, had poor muscle strength (i.e hand grip) and very poor balance; co-ordination was not great; hated loud sounds, sudden sounds etc.... it's complex and sometimes quite ordinary difficulties that growing children have just persist in your child and that is when the picture begins to emerge! Now all dyspraxics are obvious until they are old enough for their difficulties to be obvious in relation to their peers. We should have got occupational therapy help for DD about 3 years before we did, but our GP kept saying she would 'mature'. She is also very dyslexic and hypermobile as well, though.

now = Not, sorry

fab - re reading I should also say that DD used to say that loud noises 'hurt her tummy' - this is because the vagus nerve reacts and they can sense it: also the problems your teacher has flagged up are highly suggestive of dyspraxia: being easily distracted and having poor attention levels (often in very bright children) is very common: DD has very very poor attention levels in class even though she has been tested with an IQ of 136+. Look at INPP.org.uk for info?

www.peltor.se/int/Product.asp?PageNumber=154&ProductCategory_Id=56&Product_Id=73

this should work for an nt child

www.peltor.se/int/Product.asp?PageNumber=154&ProductCategory_Id=56&Product_Id=73

this should work for an nt child

www.peltor.se/int/Product.asp?PageNumber=154&ProductCategory_Id=56&Product_Id=73

this should work for an nt child

lingle, I've bought a pair of these from eBay and will give them a go.

They look like they won't take up too much room in my bag, and with fireworks night coming up we might even get him to a display with them.

Hellooo,
My DS is nearly 4 too, and has similar reaction to HDs. Awful things aren't they. He also screamed at the dentist when she turned on the machine to clean my teeth. He is very sensitive and I think he could tell I was quite nervous (I was doing my best to be chilled out Mummy but some things run deep). The dentist didn't help by then saying "I've never had that reaction before" (Grrrrrrr, don't know why it annoyed me but it did).

Anyway, there is hope... DS still doesn't like HDs but he's got used to the hoover and my hair dryer and he isn't as bad as he used to be about HDs. I have to say I use the disabled loos when out and about if there is clearly no disabled person wanting them and of course I would never put a HD on myself, you just can't really help what other people do.

He also runs away from Cbeebies when Humpty Dumpty comes on and has been known to cry at nursery over scarey books. Am I right in thinking he is "just" a very sensitive child? He seems very normal apart from these things....