Bells at school

Post Reply New Topic

I hope you don't mind me posting here I am a parent of a child with autism. During the summer my son's school decided to put in a bell. One is situated in his classroom. These go off 17 times a day causing him a great deal of anxiety. I have been told by the autism advisory service he will get use to it and they have written him a social story to tell him he will get use to it. He is 8 years old.

It doesn't seem to be getting better he seems to be getting worse over the bells he sits in class with his hands over his ears. They have given him a list of times when the bells go off but this hasn't helped either.

I'm just seeking advice whether this is something he will just get use to or not?

Thanks very much in advance.

Try getting his teacher to show him how it works, where the control panel is and have your son operate it manually to show exactly how the noise is produced.

I had a time of it when I was young with the local fog horn but my dad took me to it and let me see how it worked. That seemed to work in my case.

It's possible. Maybe he will get used it it, maybe in a year. Maybe never.
Some people need more time adapting than others.

Sometimes "better noise" can over up the sound. Is there any specific music he likes? If that's allowed, you can trying having him listen to a song.

there are several types of 'getting used to it'.
i myself got used to the bell in the form that i didn't shoot into a meltdown every time it went off, but it always (and still) hurt my ears. also things like train whistles, bus brakes, you name it.

the song is a good idea, earphones on low volume can alliviate a lot or hearing-based sensory issues.

Thanks very much for your replies. I like the idea of showing him the controls to see if that helps.

Maybe the low level music would help. I will give it a go.

Thanks I really value your advice.

Many thanks again.

It isn't possible for the school to use a different bell sound, right?

Since while I hate the buzz alarm sound (it makes me anxious and I have to cover my ears whenever I hear it) I don't mind the melody based alarms.

I think he might really be able to get used to it after a while just like I did. The buzz makes me anxious and hurts my ears but I am not losing my mind when I hear it. I just cover my ears till it gets off. I know my fear is nothing but my body reaction to the sound and I am not in real danger so I deal with the anxiety within a few seconds after the sound gets off.

But it is worse for him than it was for me since the school bells are new thing for him. I have had bells in school since the 1st day I got there. I knew right away that school = school bells, I could even hear them before coming to school since the school was near my grandma house and I could hear it when playing outside, long before I was school age.

He needs to deal with the change, not just the sound itself. Its good he has a timetable when the sound gets on but it might be not enough. You should make him understand what is the purpose of the sound. How it makes all people in school know when lessons and breaks start and end. How many schools use the method. Once he realize it is normal and needed he will find a way to get used to it. But right now he might see it as a pointless, undeserved punishment that they tell him to get used to just because everyone else does.