LOUD NOISES HURT HIS EYES!! - Anyone else have any experience of this?

[coppertop]

I remember reading something in Luke Jackson's book about his senses sometimes getting mixed up but have only just realised that ds1 seems to have something similar.

When he first started putting words together a few months ago, ds1 would comment on loud noises and say "hurt eyes". As he had only begun talking fairly recently I put this down to him getting his words mixed up and saying "eyes" when he meant "ears".

Today he had an appointment at the asthma clinic at the hospital. While we were there some workmen accidentally dropped a huge metal pipe and it was really loud. I immediately looked to see if ds1 was okay as he has extremely sensitive hearing. He threw himself on to the chairs in the waiting room, clawing at his eyes saying "Eyes hurt! Eyes hurt! Too loud, mummy!"

It was then that I remembered the Luke Jackson book and now I'm wondering if his senses really are mixed up. Does anyone else have any experience of anything similar?

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Just to be awkward.... ...... ds1 has explained (as a 10 year old can) that though he likes school discos- the lights, music & smoke machine etc- he has often said that the trouble is that he either can't hear the music if he's looking at the lights.....or that he ca't watch the lights if he's listening to the music. This is i think something to so with sensory overload- he cannot process both things at once- like when he says he can't listen to me if he's looking at me.....so what i wonder is with your ds1 as he is also so young and it must be so scary for him...is that when he hears a loud noise (sudden too- which autistic people hate anyway) then maybe his reaction is that due to hearing that- he is feeling 'something' to do with his eyes- my ds1 describes it as going blind or deaf- hope that helps!

Also....when i was younger i used to shut my eyes alot if being shouted at or if there was a loud noise....seems the same thing....'switching off' 1 sense to process another......can you relate this to other times at home- ds2 at your son's age prefered the volume down on t.v- so he could watch the pictures- now he will play 'back' to the tv ....so he can just listen.........he HATES noises and is often seen with hands over ears....does this seem familiar???

yes ds does this - can't think of example at hte mo as dd is pulling at me ........

HHHHHmmmmm, my dd6 who i think has AS doesnt really ever look at me...except when im telling her off. I wonder if its because she cant hear me when shes looking at me. I always thought it was odd...

Phew! I thought you were all going to tell me that I'd gone mad or something!

Yes, ds1 also looks away when someone is talking to him. I hadn't thought before that it might be so that he could hear what I was saying.

He often puts his hands over his ears and then shuts his eyes, so maybe he really is 'diverting' the sound elsewhere IYKWIM.

I do not have autism, but find that I can't taste properly if there is loud noise. And I can't hear well if I am wearing sunglasses. I also find that if I am wearing something that covers my ears, I can't see as well. I found loud noise very disconcerting though I wouldn't necessarily describe it as hurting my eyes. I could easily imagine that for an autistic child this could all be magnified and overwhelming. I'm fascinated as I've never met anyone who had their senses mixed up like mine.

I don't have autism, but am very shortsighted, and if I don't have my glasses / lenses in / on, i find I can't hear very well. Also, when my ears are blocked (with wax, as they are atm), I find it hard to breathe "normally". Strange.