Fear Of Noises/Objects??

[daycare]

I have a child who will be 4 next month who has extreme fears of things.

today i brought the vacuum out to clean up a spill, as soon as the child saw it, the child screamed as though someone was trying to kill them. The screaming went on for almost 45 min. While screaming she yelled help and no at the top of her lungs. I never got to clean up the spill and put the vacuum away immediatley.

The child was to the point of shaking and and almost vomited.
later at music time, the kids got out the shakers and drums...again same thing occured but this time it only carried on for about 15-20 minutes.


I have only had this child for 1.5 days.

I am concerned that there is something deeper than just the fear of the vacuum, noises??

[laundrymom]

I desensitize them to the sweeper from day one. I keep sweeping and completely ignore the fit. After I sweep I turn it off, wind the cord, scoop them up and hold them while I put it away. A lot of kids are afraid of itt but I use it three times a day. I can't wait til they leave.

[daycare]

let me add to this that the child held on to me for dear life I could not pry her off of me.

I have seen kids afraid of the vacuum, but nothing like this..

[e.j.]

Is it possible she has a sensory integration problem? My son has it and when he was younger, he reacted very strongly to certain noises. The pinging noise made by the heat when it would come up through the heating vent would throw him into a tailspin.

[cheerfuldom]

is this the niece or another child?

[Michelle]

is this the niece or another child?

wow!, if this is the niece, it sounds like that loud noise is giving her flash backs of something. :confused:

[Meeko]

Reminds me of a funny situation we had many years ago. DCG (now 23 years old!) came to us at age 2. One day I ran the vacuum and she FREAKED! Scrambled into my husbands arms and yelled until I finished and turned it off. We knew we needed to vacuum several times a day and had to get her over this fear.

Skip forward.......DCM walks into living room to see my husband on the floor with the vacuum and the DCG. He was stroking the vacuum like a dog and saying "Nice vacuum!" and hugging it! DCG looks up at her mother and says "Hug it!" DCM had to get down on the floor too and hug the vacuum!

It worked.....DCG loved the vacuum from then on!

[daycare]

yes the niece

[Michelle]

Reminds me of a funny situation we had many years ago. DCG (now 23 years old!) came to us at age 2. One day I ran the vacuum and she FREAKED! Scrambled into my husbands arms and yelled until I finished and turned it off. We knew we needed to vacuum several times a day and had to get her over this fear.

Skip forward.......DCM walks into living room to see my husband on the floor with the vacuum and the DCG. He was stroking the vacuum like a dog and saying "Nice vacuum!" and hugging it! DCG looks up at her mother and says "Hug it!" DCM had to get down on the floor too and hug the vacuum!

It worked.....DCG loved the vacuum from then on!

That's too cute!!!
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[daycare]

That's too cute!!!
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Lol too funny!!

[SilverSabre25]

I know she's not very verbal, but could you try asking her about why she's so afraid? Let her know that whatever it is, she can tell you about it. You're safe, and it's safe to tell you anything. If it's not simply a sensory thing (a pretty severe sensory thing, sounds like), then maybe you can get her to open up.

[MG&Lsmom]

My own children have autism and sensory processing disorder. One with each. We would have similar freakouts over noises. Some things we've been able to teach them to no be afraid of, but others we have not. If I remember correctly this child has a very sheltered life while at home. Not a lot of exposure to things most of us would consider normal parts of life? I'd let her examine and play with the vacuum, show her how it works, talk about why you do it, let her turn the button on and off to desensitize her to it.

[Childminder]

I had a child that ran around like a Banshee when ever I vacuumed. One day she ran into the room and threw her blankie up in the air and it came down right into the immediate path of the vacuum. Yep, It got ****ed right in. The child then screamed and cried in terror every time I vacuumed.

To get her over it I held her and the vacuum and let/made her touch it every day when it was off, then after a few days we would turn it off and on, eventually holding her while I vacuumed and then she got so she would vacuum on her own. Took a long time.

[Auntie]

Sounds like some sort of sensory issue. The first thing that came to my mind was Autism. However, just because you have sensory issues doesn't make you Autistic.

[daycare]

Sounds like some sort of sensory issue. The first thing that came to my mind was Autism. However, just because you have sensory issues doesn't make you Autistic.

For those that have experience with autism Did you also find your child unable to socialize? Or repeating of words?
Her mom said she has been afraid of loud noises since birth. Hair dryer vacuum when the stero I too loud and etc.
Her response to it is extremely abnormal. A reaction like I have never seen.
I tried to show it to her today in an attempt to break the feel but she scream cried until he threw up.