Aspies For Freedom

My son has always had problems with various sudden loud noises, in particular, fire alarms, thunder and barking dogs.  I got him a pair of industrial headphones and they REALLY help to block out the noise.

I'm in the UK and here you can get them in the big Countrywide stores where farmers, country people and various trades people go to buy the stuff they need.

thunder bothers my 12 year old girl........me too. Loud and disruptive and unpredictable.

I posted this earlier somewhere else today, but it's related to this, so I'm just copying it:

Any loud or sudden noise startles me, a lot. If I know a call on my cell phone is coming, I sometimes turn the ringer down or off altogether to avoid the shock. Specifically, I am very sensitive to fire alarms. I have gotten seriously ill and even vomited before an announced drill because of anxiety before the noise. I guess I just can't take it.

Therapists when I was in elementary school tried to treat me for this. They actually used a speech therapy program (maybe Fast Forward) and set the speakers close to max volume. I was literally on the floor covering my ears crying later with the therapists struggling to keep my hands off my ears to force me to listen to the noises. Not fun. I still sometimes skip school (with my parent's permission) on days there is a scheduled drill. If it's unannounced, I'm screwed. Once, I threw a pair of scissors into the air once the alarm went off. (Very dangerous) Well, at least I'm too old to do arts and crafts in school now.

It sounds perfectly normal to me, thou i tend to feal pain from noisy smelly or light places. being different to others on the spectrum is also part of AS.
Don't worry is my advice, I guess, but I'm apparently also hyper if it is because of a syndrome, he probably doesn't notice. hmmm syndrome is under medical definition also a bit dogy,
[PS:Is it okay to admit that you honestly can not relax knowing that something is wrong with the world?]

to verify what i mean the word syndrome is dogy[as well as disorder] in the sense that a disorder is a syndrome considered to be a problem a syndrom is something of which we do not know it's cause and can only identify by means of symtoms, who's source again can not be proven and ocoures before a certain age.

Thankfully my son has not had a problem with the fire drills. He does however have a problem when a motorcycle goes by while we're driving. Also, when I forget to turn my stereo down prior to getting him in the car. I have that to work on - his hands go right to his ears and I mute it for him.

My son reacts to loud chaotic noise in a similar way to how you describe. If there is a fight scene or chaotic noise on the tv he jumps around the room shouting and punching the air etc. I just accept it is his way of coping with it so he doesn't feel scared or stressed. I suppose it physically releases the tension.

LOL *woof woof* aliengirl I have always been affected by the humidity too it make me feel an excited aniticipation I guess is the only way to describe it. Sort of an adrenaline boost which makes me feel happy and adventurous. Its magical a bit like a full moon. Also sudden weather changes affect me physcially, especially humidity, and make my joints swell up which is not so much fun.

The sensitivity to light and sound is something I think we can't protect them from (as parents) There are always assemblies and shows where the person asks the crowd a question and then the crowd responds, and the person on stage says, "I can't hear you  - Good morning, everybody" - and keeps doing this till the kids are screaming at the top of their lungs. Everytime my son was part of those kinds of audiences he would plug his ears, and he will still cover his ears - but now he is dealing with noisy situations better than he used to. He's also developing a taste for louder music. I must say, he does have good taste in music for one so young!

My son has issues with noise too, in particular fire alarms, loud unexpected noises, motorbikes, and recently he had issues with the "recorder" I tried explaining this to the school but hey ho no go again lol    
He also had sensitivity to the wind,  bright sunshine and temperature although these are much lesser now.  
Re the above I also have sensitivity to temperature, and definitely light but have more of an issue with noise when there are more than one things going on eg someone trying to talk whilst tv is on, if the tv and radio are on at the same time and someone also tries to initiate conversation my brain really feels fried ... consequently I dont really like parties because too many conversations are going on at once and it just becomes a bit too much... Ive never been diagnosed with asd like my son has and spent most of my childhood partially deaf so I put down my noise sensitivity to this really but it is interesting that my son has similar senstivities!
Rosie

My son has always had a problem with loud noises, although he tends to have the television and music turned up very loud - which I dislike.

I cut the grass the other day and he stood next to me with his hands over his ears, complaining about the noise.  I told him if he didn't like it he should go elsewhere and the next thing I knew he's gone inside and slammed the door on the cable for the lawnmower.  Had to go and get insulating tape and he complained all the way back from the shop that I'd "got something" and he hadn't!

I can sympathize I am non verbal learning disability and I too am sensitive to loud sounds. Namely Fire alarms,popping balloons, and basketball scoreboards, I used to be absolutely PETRIFIED of thunderstorms but not so much anymore I was laughed at for it all through middle school, but what finally helped me get over it was I rode through a thunderstorm wiht my dad in his truck I was sort of scared at first but watching it through the windshield it was awesome. I'm not as scared now but when the thunder gets really loud I cover my ears it's harder to do it discreetly in public though.