Sensory Overload re Noise

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Hi, I am new here and my son is a newly diagnosed 17 year old Aspie.

He has a lot of problems daily with noise i.e. at school kids talking and being loud, neighbours fighting and music level of our neighbours, etc. He gets so angry about it and I try to get him to not focus on it and do something else to distract him from it but it does not work. Does anyone have any suggestions on what to do that will help him with this?

I started to do some research about it and saw some video's that some Aspie kids put on Youtube and I now understand what he is going through and how he feels. I would really like to help him with this as this is something that he will always have to deal with.

Suggestions???

Earplugs! Get him earplugs! My comfort level of dealing with idiots who refuse to put mufflers on cars/motorcycles/blast bad music while driving said muffler-less vehicle with the window down has gone up significantly since I got myself a pair of earplugs at an Ace Hardware store. I know there are more expensive sound-canceling devices out there, but try him on the earplugs first. Look for the banded ones that are labeled "AO Safety" and have the highest possible noise reduction rating.

Good luck!!

Also I suggest using a fan for cool downs. A fan acts as a white noise generator and can help cancel out other sounds while he takes a break and 'recalibrates'. Good to use in some quiet room out of the way. A "safe spot" if you will.

Yeah, earplugs will work unless he has problems with things in his ears then you might want to get the noise canceling headphones. My husband got some at Target....they dont work as good as the expensive ones but they help him when hes on the bus. He can still hear but the noise is less intense and he can also listen to music without turning it way up.

I was at a school assembly at my son's school this morning and I can understand how the noise at school could be overwhelming. I was listening to all the students talking at once and it sounded like one vast beast growling. I find the waxy kind of earplugs are good for muffling noise. If he's newly diagnosed you might not know he is eligible for an IEP and they can make accommodations. My son has noise sensory issues and he has special considerations when there is a fire drill scheduled and he also has a right to sensory breaks throughout the day, due to overload. IEP stands for individualized education plan, but my son's iep goals have always been behavioral rather than academic. Is he ending his sophomore year or junior's?

My eldest son has a set of very expensive, but very effective, headphones that dampen noise. I'd like my middle son to be allowed to use something like that at school but they won't allow it because they say he isn't entitled to an IEP because he isn't disruptive. Noise just makes him shut down. They keep him in a regular classroom which is absolute torture for him. I can't even get him into a quiet lunch program.

In a way, your son's acting out is a blessing. It will open up lots of doors to getting accomodations for him. Well behaved kids get pushed to the side.

I'm in a bit of a dark mood today.