Screechy stim - very loud!

[AngelofTroy]

DD (suspected autistic - on v looooong waiting list) has developed a new stim. A high-pitched screech at a very loud volume (Dad's watch warns him when noise exceeds over 85 decibels!)

We have just begun to access groups and sessions aimed at autistic children which was a great support for me as a parent as well as for DD

However.. many of the other children are noise sensitive and I am now feeling embarrassed/flustered at the thought of DD triggering sensory overload in other children. (She certainly does in me!!)

She says she needs to do it, and says it feels like her flapping, so I think it's definitely a stim. I wouldn't usually discourage a stim but when she's 10cm from my ear and that loud it's causing a ringing and some pain, and it's limiting our access to these support groups.

We've been on Easter holidays for 2 weeks so I don't know if she's doing this at school. I plan to ask when they go back.

Has anyone got any suggestions?

No but watching with interest. DS (7) is like this off and on. How old is your DC? When DS gets the school bus home often all the other kids have their hands over their ears like he’s causing physical pain. Makes me v anxious about the whole school bus scenario. I’ve not found anything so far that stops it other than removing him from a situation.

He does it at school (intermittently). They are a good SS but haven’t employed any tactics to stop it! Just tell me when he’s doing it. So I’m following any recommendations with interest.

How old is she and what's her understanding like? Not quite as bad but my DD has taken to whistling, I don't stop her but she understands that she has to go to her room if other people are trying to concentrate ( with a reminder or two).

She is nearly 7 and had good comprehension, academically able but very impulsive and has little self control. We have talked to her about how noise affects others, and about how sounds can damage hearing. She makes the noise when she's excited, especially about special interests (if someone mentions one of her favourite topic she'll screech and flap!) I don't think it's a tic as she can stop, but as soon as she's not actively thinking about it she'll start again.

DS does it when excited too but also when bored. He can be distracted out of it by taking his attention to something else. Obv tho in a scenario like when he’s just sat on a bus with nothing to do it can be at its worst or if he’s not interested in what they are doing in school.