Only recently scared of trains??

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Hi my son (dx'd with AS & 5yrs 8mths) loved trains. Since he was little we'd go to a nearby town on the train a couple of times a year & he loved it as he loved Thomas the Tank Engine! We went on the train at xmas & no probs but went to go on it last week & he had a panic attack. Poor little fella just freaked out. Thankfully the train hadn't pulled out & we got off. He said the noise was bugging him & kept his hands over his ears. This is the same train he's gone on dozens of times. Not to make an issue out of it we said no problem we'll go another day. His little heart was beating fast when I carried him off the train. I know he has sensory issues (hates the loud circus) but it was strange that only now the train is annoying him. there were no unusual sounds just the engine running. To make matters worse when the train pulled out he had a meltdown & told me he was so angry with himself for not going on the train. I just played down the whole thing which I hope was the right thing to do & said perhaps he just had a headache that day & the train made it worse & we'll try again another day when he don't have a headache. I also told him he NEVER has to go on the train if it annoys him & that I was very proud he was able to tell me why he didn't like the train & why he was angry for not going on.

Should I try him again or would that be a bad idea?? Just that with the summer here we have so many trips planned to take the train. Suppose there is always the bus!!

I just find it weird that it never bothered him before, anyone know why only this time it irriated him so much?

Taking a little bit of a stab in the dark, but I thinking a possibility is some high pitched sounds coming from somewhere on the train, outside of your hearing, but within his.

I know younger people can hear higher frequencies than younger people, I know if I here high pitched sounds above utlrasound range (20,000hz), but within my hearing range, I can certainly find it a nuiscance (hurts my ears).

I'd say you're right that it was some high-pitched sound that we couldn't hear. It was scary for him & us. Hopefully its a once off as he just loves the train. Thanks for the reply. I think we'll try him again in a few weeks & I'll explain that sometimes the train makes weird noises & most of the time it don't but if he hears the weird noise we won't go on & if he don't than we will. He is a little fighter as he will go to the cinema even though the noise bothers him he will stay so he can watch the movie despite me offering him to leave.

it's possible his hearing or his noise tolerance could have changed as well,in autism and aspergers both can change all throughout life.
make sure he doesn't stay away completely from noises,it makes things a lot worse.

was the train any more busy with people than the other times he has been on?
multiple noises [such as people talking,moving feet about,whistling etc doesnt matter what volume] can have a crippling effect due to being unable to filter out each sound.

what about getting him a pair of child ear defenders or child earplugs?
am have severe sensory impairment,and for the noise/sound side,wear laser lite earplugs as well as padded ear defenders over the top,but one or the other might be enough for him.

First I think I will point I am speaking from my own experiences as I am an AS person.

I must admit, a lot of different noises I am see been a problem. Though I personally can filter out different sounds to a large in a noisey environment, if theres anything about environment thats gives me too much to think about, I find that quite a problem.

For example, if I am at work, and I am been told too much information in one go, I can't handle it, and start mucking a lot and generally get stressed. Out of curiosity, did he show signs that anything else was bothering him?

This kind of thing has happened to my son too, with sensory issues changing and reactions to "favorite things" changing.
One thing to try and remember, has he had any anxiety associated with being "over enthusiastic" about trains? For instance, my son loved trains when he was little and once at the zoo we went to take the little train. The wait in line pushed him over the edge and we had to leave and he couldn't ride the train because he had an over the top meltdown. Sometime after that, he lost interest in trains.

He's had other problems with anxiety-caused meltdowns or "inappropriate behavior" from things he loved. Then if he was removed, he imprinted that enjoyable activities were associated with "punishment" or "removal". It mostly occured in preschool and stopped by kindergarten. It was unavoidable because his anxiety or lack of boundaries would cause him to be dangerous or extremely disruptive and then the removal would ensure that the next time he would be even more anxious. It took a lot of work to change all of that. The whole time people were recommending meds and we refused.

Pop's interpretation of things have changed too. He loved fireworks as a baby but one year had a shutdown, where he looked like he was catatonic from the shock of the fireworks. Then the next year he was fine and has loved them ever since.

Auditory defensiveness. Classic textbook - was not afraid in the beginning and now noises bother him. They will get better. The sensory issues surrounding auditory does get better as they get older.

Ear plugs - great idea. If he does not like the plugs, get headphones. Do not take away Thomas! Thomas and Friends are fabulous for teaching these little guys about "emotions" because of their giant facial expressions. Keep trying.

My son can't take the vaccuum, hair dryers, hand dryers in public restrooms and the dreaded automatic flushing toilets. All auditory. (some of it being unexpected noise)Oh yes, the blender and an electric shaver! But, he has overcome some of them. Especially when he knows it's coming and he is ready. Prepare him.

"OK - Thomas is coming, let's bring ear plugs, headphones, use our hands over our ears and try to have fun. OK? Let me know if it's too much and we will go inside." Is there a railroad museum where he can escape inside? Also, sit in the caboose as far away from the engine as possible! The noise from the engine and the unexpected "whooo-hooo" from the whistle will be lessened from further away.

Good luck - these things do get better as times goes on. I am sorry he got frustrated with himself for not going on - but he knew what he needed at the time - and so did you. Kudoos to you both.

Too funny. Just after I sent the last reply, it started to thunder. My dog, who loves being outside, ran inside frantically, shaking and is hiding under the bed. Strange to compare this, but it's the same thing.

Dogs are terrified of thunder. It's the noise. It hurts their ears (canine ears!) and so does fireworks. It's the unexpected noise. Dog wants to be outside, she is probably frustrated with herself because she is too scared to go out and play!



Now it's pouring out! Anyway, our kids can have "canine ears." It is more fun for them to hear that they have "supersonic ears" and that's not so bad. They will learn how to deal, just as the dog learned that she needs to hide under that bed.

I've noticed similar flips with my son. It can be the development of a panic attack, or it can be a change in sensory tolerance, or a combination. All I can say is that I think the child needs to work it out for himself. Be helpful and supportive, offer suggestions when he seems willing to accept them but, for the most part, all the work to be done here is internal.

I get panic attacks myself, and I hate it, but the reality is that the only person who can get past it is me. I have to do it myself. Everyone around me trying to "help" just ends up interfering and delaying the process. I'm not Aspie, but maybe this is one of my Aspie-like traits; I'm not sure. I just know that I WILL work through the panic, given enough time alone.

It's difficult with a train, since it rides on a schedule, but with other things you can simply wait it out. I might panic on top of a ski run, for example. The more pressure I feel to get down the slope, the worse it gets. So, I find a lovely spot to simply enjoy while I work it out. I find it's important for me not to give up and give in to the panic, but I do need to remove it before I proceed. And that simply takes time.

I tend to do something similar with my kids. I won't move away from the activity, but I will move aside with them. Get them distracted, start doing something else, but not get rid of the opportunity to follow through with the task that caused the panic. Most often, after doing something completely different for a while, they will decide they are ready to try again. Sometimes they realize they simply do not want to do it. Either way, that decision gets reached without me mentioning the activity at all.

Short term, make sure your son understands that it is OK to have a panic attack. Or sensory overload. Or both. Let him know that is what it is. And that he CAN make a choice to control it, to dissipate it, but that these skills will take time and practice, and that he will need to figure it out for himself. If this was the first time, the feelings were probably pretty scary to him, and frustrating. Let him know that it's OK, let him talk it out, now that he is removed from it.

Mine's gotten much worse. MUCH worse.