FAQautism

My colleague, Gloria McDaniel, wrote of some challenging issues a fifth-grade youngster diagnosed with autism encountered in noisy public places. For example, his mother was only able to take her sound-sensitive son to the grocery store for maybe one or two items. If the short shopping excursion required waiting in a line for the cashier, the mom usually found it necessary to leave before she could complete her purchase.

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Gloria and the mom recognized that one factor in the youngster’s aversion to large stores was the noise issue. Gloria wrote, “We made audio recordings of the sounds in the store to help prepare him for the real-life experience. We recorded unexpected announcements over the loud speakers, a variety of human and machine sounds at a checkout counter, and the general mix of conversations and rolling carts in the store aisles.”

Gloria reported that, over time, the youngster learned to tolerate shopping trips and he learned to push the shopping cart appropriately. After several trips to big stores, Gloria and the mom noticed the fifth-grader refused to go down certain aisles. Gloria wrote, “ After careful observation, we realized he was sensitive to the hum of the coolers in the frozen and refrigerated foods aisles. We also noticed the sensitivities near soft-drink machines if they were humming. His mother said she had not noticed a problem with their refrigerator or deep freeze at home, so there was obviously something different with the frequencies and noise levels of the larger machines in the stores.” Gloria and Mom worked patiently to help the youngster tolerate those sounds. Mom is certainly relieved that her son can actually enjoy going to the store now.

TIP FOR THE DAY: Extraordinary sensitivities to noises of certain pitch or volume or timbre are very real to individuals with autism, so it is important to help make the “sound environment” as stress-free as possible for our friends.

NOTE TO READERS AND LISTENERS: I am Cathy Knoll, a board certified music therapist and long-time friend of many folks with autism. At FAQautism.com we are committed to providing free, practical, everyday tips for making life better for people with autism. Feel free to send me a confidential email at talk@FAQautism.com with your thoughts or challenging situations or innovative solution. And don’t forget to check out our website for a wealth of ideas and a glimpse into the world of autism. http://FAQautism.com

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