Skip to main content
  Ear protection for a sound sensitive, autistic person


These babies broke the chain off of my being under almost complete house arrest back in 2010. 
I did research on different sound-blocking equipment in June that year. I started my search on Wikipedia.com. I learned that noise-canceling technology was actually making my situation worse. Noise-canceling technology is best used in situations where there is uninterrupted sound (engines). It acts as static to put sounds like jet engines, lawn-mowers and steady traffic in the background. I used Bose QC2 (now retired and replaced with the QC15 model) noise-canceling headphones for 3 years. I wondered why shrieking kids and barking dogs sounded louder. My audiologist, who specializes in tinnitus-retraining therapy (TRT), could not explain this to me, but someone nice at the Hyperacusis Network (www.hyperacusis.net) explained about noise-canceling technology not being right for my situation. The rest was up to me.
I found that passive sound-blocking was right for my situation. It was also my good fortune to find out that it was much cheaper.
 My camera fills with nature images. Being able to get through the 4th of July is crucial to my sanity. The days are shorter, and being a PM person, I know my nature and photography are limited until springtime.
I want to remind those of you also using ear protection, “rest” your ears by giving them exposure -at least to the environment(s) you can tolerate.
Visit the Earplug Superstore www.earplugstore.com
I've had terrific results with them.

I give God full credit for leading me to the earplug superstore 6 years ago. Finding the Pro Ears was literally a Godsend!






Popular posts from this blog

On the fringe: autism and family gatherings

Child covering ears Family gatherings are noisey. There are a myriad of voices that range in pitch and volume. There is that one person who laughs so loud that tears well in my eyes. Boys yell and bang on the piano. Someone is taking a photo with flash. Greeting people is part of being polite, even when you are already in sensory overload. Perfumes and colognes combine and foods from the kitchen circulate. Men yell at the football game and women laugh at something funny.  All this is taken in at the door. There is a long way to wade through before I can put my coat in a quiet bedroom. I have to remember to smile and say "hello" as well as accept hugs. There are a few cousins who cannot stand my presence, though, at age 5, I don't know what I could have possibly done to upset them. I am asked, "Why do you plug your ears?" I am told repeatedly that nobody wants me here. I am the only one who isn't part of a group. Sometimes, I get bullied. A parent ...

The Onion in the Petunia Patch Part Three

Young adulthood-present I attempted suicide when I was 17, six months before graduation. I was hospitalized for the first of what would be over 20 spanning from 1997-2006. More bullying and much more blame came from what was supposed to be a place of healing. I was told how spoiled I was, what a con-artist I was; manipulative (as if plugging my ears and screaming at the loud toddler visiting was my way of wanting to “get” something from someone-other than quiet). There were more suicide attempts. In 1998, I saw the next in a series of psychiatrists/psychologists. This man diagnosed me, wearily, with “autistic tendencies”. I was 19. I went on to getting into trouble with the law and almost being imprisoned. I firmly believe if it hadn't been for my mom’s nursing sense and persevering spirit, I would have gone to jail and would not be here today. I questioned God. I began to wonder if He really did exist. I decided that He did, but that He hated me, even was bullying me. How s...

First Day of Spring

Cherry blossom tree in Springtime with light blue sky Today is the first day of Spring.  As of late, I have presented a lot of dark, weighty subject material. I thought it was time for something positive and lighter. While Winter serves as a cushion and break from the outside sensory world, it also renews me for the next season. Spring helps me to appreciate the present a little more, as Summer can be tough with kids being off of school and setting off fireworks. Here is to the present. I also want to take the time to thank the Lord for always being with me, no matter how dark things get.