Advice needed on oversensitivity to sounds of other children!

[CaptainPlump]

My DS (ASD) is nearly 3 and starting nursery next month, but when he's teething (as he currently is) he gets really sensitive to sounds. He spent weeks last April crying pretty much all day every day at his childminders because the other little boy she looks after makes noises! At its worst even a cough or a sneeze would set him off. He's been absolutely fine for months, but now he's started again - he has more teeth coming in (it's his 21st tooth I can see appearing - is that supposed to happen?)and he cries whenever he hears another baby cry. I know oversensitivity to sound is a feature of ASD but does anyone have any ideas about what to do? I'm really worried about nursery anyway, but this really isn't going to help. Every other internet community I've tried with this dilemma has failed me, please help!

Anyone? I know this is a tricky one to resolve but I can't believe I'm the only one to have been through it!!!

My eldest (6) also has ASD and I have to say we found nursery very difficult and school also becasue of the noise issue. He is on the milder end of the spectrum and his reaction to noise is that he becomes hyper and hard to control. For two years we were just told that our son was naughty and we believed it. Then we got a dx.

Our only solution has been to try to explain the situation to teachers and to make sure he has a special place to go to for quiet time when he finds the noise too much. Sometimes he has been found hiding in the toilet, and tonight he got very distressed when my hubbie got the drill out to put up shelves.

Has he got something he can get very absorbed in? Lots of ASD kids can "lose" themselves in a favourite activity. For my son a computer game is the best bet. He totally tunes into it and is oblivious to everything else.

Speak to the SEN co-ordinator and the Autistic Advisory service. They may have some advice.

Good luck,

Allie.

BIBIC gave us an 'audio sweep' cd to try to help with this. It is a 3 min recording of a sound which goes from very low to very high frequency and back down again. When they first gave it to us DS2 had very little sound sensitivity and it was supposed to make him more alert to sound. However, we had to stop using it for a while (he jammed it inside the CD player!) and during this time he became very sensitive to certain sounds (traffic and crying mainly). It might have just been coincidence but it could be worth a try.

They also suggested making a tape of random sounds and playing it during the day - first very softly and gradually turning the sound up.

I've just been on a course which suggested that you pair the sounds that your child is sensitive to with something they really enjoy, so they learn to associate the sound with pleasure.
Again. I haven't done this yet, so don't know if it would work. But may be some help.

Thanks, some good advice! Allie, I will speak to the SENCO when Sam starts nursery and try and make sure he has a quiet place to go - I think that would really help.

sphil, what's BIBIC (just worked a night shift and don't know if I ought to know what that means or not!) and where could I get a copy of this CD? It sounds very worth trying. The tape of random sounds (especially crying and hoovers!) is also something I'll try, and the pairing idea if that doesn't work.

Thanks!

Just a question as we are going to see the paediatrician on thurs as dd (11 months) still no dx but along with long list of things is really very sensitive to sound
Depends on how tired she is but screaming children and sirens really set her off - Do you think it is worth mentioning a possible link with ASD to the doctor?

Sorry question is do you think ASD would be showing already in a child who is only 11 months and has been like this from birth?

In my opinion there are definately signs of ASD that you can spot at 11 months - I definately had suspicions - but it's really unlikely you'll get a diagnosis before the age of 2. If you have concerns definately raise them, I think it's worth getting on the waiting list for things like speech and language therapy and other services as soon as possible. When DS was 11 months I told my GP that he wasn't responding to his name or showing any signs of understanding any language and we were referred to the S and L therapist then, but appointments take forever to come through and DS was only finally diagnosed at age 2 years and 7 months.

The thing to look out for are the signs pointed to on the Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (CHAT). If your child is not pointing, following your gaze or your pointing, or playing imaginatively by 18 months then a dx of autism might be considered. (I didn't explain that very well, am very tired, but you can google it!) Hypersensitivity to sensory input is a feature of ASD (and DS displayed it from birth too!) but at 11 months they'll want to rule out other stuff first! Good luck!

BTW, the other thing that really made me think of ASD when DS was 11 months old was his flapping - he's always (since at least 4 months of age) flapped his hands and arms when he's excited.

BIBIC is British Institute for Brain Injured Children (www.bibic.org.uk). And no, there's no reason you should know - I was typing late and didn't think to explain - silly of me. Their name sounds scary, but they deal with all degrees of the autistic spectrum as well as other SN.