Ear defenders for a 3 year old

Perhaps buy ear defenders in an adult size. If they are not strictly for ear protection (e.g., when using machinery), not having a tight fit is not that important. They will still reduce the noise levels even if they are a little too loose to be fully protective.

If the headband is plastic, it might be possible to loosen it by stretching it and applying a little heat from a hairdryer.

I'm 50 years older than your son and I'm still finding noise a problem. It's usually the type of noise, rather than the volume, that gets to me. Even something as quiet as the humming of a fridge can set me on edge. A few days ago, I got stuck listening to three awful pop songs in a row while eating dinner. By the third song I'd lost the ability to speak, had to get out of the room, find a quiet spot and work hard for half an hour to calm down. I'm not normally that sensitive; I was probably a bit stressed and tired to start with. Ear defenders would have been a big help if I'd had them to hand.

So, you're doing the right thing. Your efforts to find the right ear defenders will really pay off for your son and make it easier for him to manage noisy environments. Stick with it and he'll thank you for it.

Thank you for your insight. That’s a brilliant suggestion about the bigger size. Yes, I’m finding with my son, it doesn’t have to be loud these days, sometimes I don’t even hear what he is hearing. Thank you, I appreciate it.

Thank you for your insight. That’s a brilliant suggestion about the bigger size. Yes, I’m finding with my son, it doesn’t have to be loud these days, sometimes I don’t even hear what he is hearing. Thank you, I appreciate it.

Looks like we have an AI bot infection.

It’s perfectly normal to dislike certain noises and feel irritated, on edge, or unsettled by them. For example, if you heard the quiet, high-pitched whine of a mosquito near your ear, you’d likely feel uneasy at best and desperate for it to stop. If that sound followed you all day, you’d probably end up stressed and cranky. That’s a natural reaction.

Your son’s response to certain sounds he dislikes is equally normal. The difference is that these might not be noises you personally find unpleasant, making it harder for you to anticipate when he’ll struggle. Keeping ear defenders handy can be a big help.

It’s also possible your son doesn’t even realise that certain noises are what’s causing his irritation or stress. If he can’t communicate that, he might not know when it’s the right moment to put on the ear defenders something you’ll need to guide him on. I’ve experienced this myself: for years, grocery shopping made me stressed and irritable. Then one day, I wore noise-cancelling earbuds (with no music, just the NC) and found myself surprisingly calm at the checkout. I had assumed the problem was the crowd, but it turned out to be the background noise all along. It only took me 50 years to figure that out!

There is also some evidence that many Autistic people don’t habituate to sounds in the same way most non-Autistic people do. While most people can “tune out” a noise so it fades into the background, some Autistic individuals experience it as constant just as loud and irritating as when it first started. Over time, that unrelenting noise can become overwhelming, making breaks essential.

Yes, I agree. I’ll definitely keep them at hand and keep trying them.

K8988 said:

Yes, I’m finding with my son, it doesn’t have to be loud these days,

There is nothing unusual about not liking certain noises and feeling irritated, on edge, or freaked out. If you heard the quiet, high-pitched whine of a mosquito close to your ear, you'd probably feel uneasy at best. You'd probably really want it to STOP! If it followed you around all day, you'd be stressed out and cranky. That's normal.

Your son is also reacting quite normally to some of the sounds he hears that he doesn't like. The only difference is that they might not be sounds that you find problematic, so it's hard for you to tell or predict if he'll have difficulties. Keep the ear defenders at hand, though, and they should be a big help.

It's also possible that you son doesn't even realise that noises are causing him irritation and stress, so he might not be able to communicate his distress and might not know if it's a good time to slip on the ear defenders. You'll have to help him with that. This has been my own experience. I used to get stressed and irritable doing the grocery shopping. One day last year, I decided to wear noise-cancelling earbuds (no music, just the NC) and when I got to the till I was feeling almost eerily calm. I never realised that the general background noise was my issue. I had always thought it was more to do with there being too many people. And it only took me 50 years to figure that out!

There is also some evidence that many Autistic people don't habituate to sounds the way most non-Autistic people do. Most people can "get used to" a noise and it becomes part of the background hum and can be ignored. Not all Autistic people can do that: the noise is always there, just as loud and just as irritating. There's only so much of that anyone can take before they really need a break.

Within this National Autistic Society article is a section about sound:

www.autism.org.uk/.../all-audiences

Oh wow! That’s a brilliant tip. I’m still learning all about autism, so I’m still learning how he sees and hears the world. It’s nice to get the insight from other people’s experiences. 

Sometimes, for me, it can be an uncomfortable intersection of several noises. 

Particularly distressing if I can't guess of work out what is making the noise(s). 

It varies; you can get a neighbourhood hum or hubbub conflicting with shrill speech, or a music beat or the electrical noise of a piece of equipment operating. 

Don't get me started about vacuum cleaners and ...well, this isn't intended to be a long post, enough said.

One thing a family member taught me: if e.g. an ambulance with sirens going is approaching: stand still and open your mouth.  This helps me in city centres with tall buildings both sides of the road as the emergency vehicle pushes through traffic.

I have used the same open your mouth tactic at Air Shows - where you should expect to feel the sound in your rib cage - and lean against a friend if you get disoriented (like your balance system just got jammed by the sound).