Aspies For Freedom

(QUOTE): "The "hoover" (or vacuum cleaner, for Americans) is my son's one major fear. He will panic if he even thinks I'm going to turn it on. My rugs are very dirty as a result. I often wonder if I should use some kind of immersion therapy--like just run the machine for an hour until he stops caring. Usually if he's afraid of something he'll feel better once I explain it to him. He currently loves to look at vacuum cleaners for sale in a shop. He'll stare and ask me about each brand, but still he's afraid of the one we have at home. "

      Our son was extremely sensitive to sound, especially in pre-school. Fire alarms were torture for him. He developed his own form of immersion therapy on his own time, actually seeking out loud noises or making them on his own, but always with him being in control of it. Unexepected loud noises are still an issue at age 6, however his tolerance is much, much higher than at age 4 and 5. The only way I get him to tolerate the vacuum cleaner is for him to "help" vacuum. That way he is in control of it. Usually I just run the vacuum when he is not at home.  
   Coffee grinding used to a problem, but now I just let him know I am about to grind coffee, and then he gets to come over and smell the fresh ground coffee (a nice little routine).

JosephsDad Wrote:

   That is very interesting. I wonder if it is partially because his focus was on the cookie, and it is difficult for him to pay attention to more than one thing at a time. It does prove how much you can do with incentives.  Hopefully he won't be around vacuum cleaning too much as an adult, as he will be eating cookies every time he hears one!

It's pretty amazing that after 3.5 years of what I would call a terror reaction to the vacuum cleaner--even the sight of it would sometimes make him panic--he will now sit happily in the kitchen and eat a cookie as I vacuum. It has worked twice so far. This whole incident is a good reminder to never forget the power of positive reinforcement. It seems to work very well with my son, especially if there's a formal arrangement involved, in this case: "You sit at the table...I'll give you an oatmeal cookie...don't take a bite yet!...as soon as I turn on the vacuum cleaner, start eating!" I guess maybe that amount of "order" gives him some feeling of control over his fear of the vacuum cleaner?

    Yes, I think the elements of order and control are very important. I know it is for our son. We also find positive reinforcement and rewards to work best.
    Taking away something is reserved for dangerous behavior, best done if he is well warned in advance of the consequence (and it is clear he understands).
     We are also teaching him flexibility, so I show some flexibility myself and let him negotiate and have him make choices (while still keeping limits within some kind of reason).  Keep in mind our son is well into age 6 now. Negotiating things at an earlier age may not work so well, although giving the choice of A or B can work at a young age.
     Guess I am straying off loud noises?
  
                                            Josephs Dad

  

Still to this day, loud noises ( the vacuum, and the toilet are my two main irritants) irritate me. I feel somewhat disrupted by loudness.

Does it give out vast clouds of blue smoke? He probably hasn't cleaned the spark plugs for ages and I wouldn't be surprised if the thing is 10 years or so old. I suppose you can be glad he doesn't mow at 6 in the morning but it still must be very aggravating.