I've noticed I haven't actually done anything about autism for a
while. Don't get me wrong, I like saying what I think about society but it's
about time I taught you something else. Namely, how much I hate loud noises. In
fact, I'm terrified of them!
These range from balloons popping, small
explosions, gunfire, lightning, champagne corks, fire alarms, jump scares in
horror films etc. All of these things give me the heebie jeebies and they
pretty much sum up all of my fears. The reason why this is, I think is because
of how much it disturbs the peace. There I am, happy in my own little world and
then BANG! Something shocks me out of it whether it's a balloon at a party or a
fire alarm in lessons, it just catches me by surprise.
Yet the odd thing is, I fear them the most
when I expect them. This is definitely the case with balloons, especially with
little kids because they have a greater chance of popping. I think it's because
that loud noises scare me so much, I dread them when they come. Much like how an
arachnophobics is scared that a spider is going to get them or something. This
is the same for horror movies (especially since jump scares are apparently more
common in them) and pantomimes (because the Fairy Godmother loves to summon
explosions for some reason).
You know once upon a time, any loud noises
distressed me. I used to go around wearing earmuffs for crying out loud! (They
didn't work but hey ho!). Whilst it isn't as severe now it was a huge problem
because like I said, it disturbed my peace and quiet and I didn't like it. In
fact longer loud noises still stress me out, such as babies and kids screaming
around.
I doubt I'm alone in this. Not that I know
whether or not this is true but I'm sure other autistic people hate loud noises
as much as I do. Perhaps they hate it even more depending on where they are in
the spectrum! Regardless it's always been a thing that has distressed me and
I'm sure people like me. Speaking of people like me...
How can you help people like me? - If such loud noises or loud environments occur, find a
'happy place' for them. I suggest you find a quiet room away from all the noise
with lighting and music appropriate to their needs. Alternatively, if it’s in a
theatre or a party, take them outside or give them earplugs (something far more
effective that earmuffs) so they can be less distressed about the noise. Also
don't tell them when a loud bang is coming, surprise is better than dread in my
experience. However if they know it's coming and get distressed about it, tell
them to cover their ears and close their eyes or even leave the area for a
quieter place (as mentioned above).
Overall, loud noises suck for us autistic
people but it is avoidable so long as you know where to go and what to do.
And that concludes this thought from an autistic mind. What do you think about this? Do you have any questions? Let me know in the comments below, be sure to like my Facebook page 'Joel Mole' for more blogs and share this around to spread the word. Thank you for reading this and until the next time: fare thee well!
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