Fire alarm

My son is 4. He has been in nursery for a year and in his first two weeks, the fire alarm went off twice. He was petrified and I had to collect him as they couldn’t calm him down. Anyway 6 weeks went passed and something obviously triggered something and he became stressed and petrified over the fire alarm on the wall which continued for months. Even a farm shop we go to, is impossible as he spots the bell. This helped at his autism assessment as he spotted one and was so stressed. Anyway we have been doing okay but the fire alarm went off at nursery on Monday and now we are back to square one. I know this is a niche thing but does anyone have any advice on if I can make anything better? Nursery labelled the bell “safe” and really support him. But i don’t know how school will be able to give him the support he needs on the off chance an alarm sounds. Obviously he has other additional needs that he needs help with but I’m really at a loss with this one!

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Hi my lad is the same even now if he hears the security gates of a shop beep he goes fire alarm. He is getting better slowly but we went into Tesco after it happened the week before. All I could do is explain it ok it's just the fire alarm and keeps us safe. Have you tried ear defenders? Or social stories/visual aids to help understand fire alarms? It sounds like it's sensory and is scary and the noise could be hurting her ears. And of course keep working nursery.

Also suggesting getting him his own ear defenders and letting him practice with them.

@Hayley he won’t keep ear defenders on although maybe I’ll keep working on that. I’ll look into social stories but he clams up even if I just say the word. The other day speech and language phoned to arrange an appointment and offered me a clinic appointment or they could come to the house. So I said house would be better if they can’t guarantee a fire alarm and even that made him react. He does have glue ear too so I know that makes his hearing more sensitive to certain pitches.

Oh bless him just like my lad i keep trying with ear defenders but I think he doesn't like them much some days he can tolerate them but majority of the time they get thrown at me 🙈 but social stories help. Also reassurance helps even if it doesn't feel like it. Oh that's good then speech therapist is able to come to your home to. I know this isn't the same but similar my lad hates when our dog barks it makes him instantly angry so we try and distract or take him away from the situation. Just another strategy.

@Hayley weirdly, I feel I’ve just had a lovely chat with him (he doesn’t really talk) but I really felt that he was understanding what I was saying in reassuring him. Normally distraction techniques are great but this one is weird because I can’t distract him from a bell being on the wall. This morning it took 3 of us to get him to go through the nursery door and in the end they had to physically grab him. I think social stories are my way forward! Bless these children!

@Emma just because there non verbal doesn't mean they don't understand. I'm saying this as an adult who was non verbal till 4 and also my lad was 4 when he started talking. Yes it's a tough one isn't it. He's obviously understood that what's on the wall makes a loud noise. Yes definitely try the social stories do you have Pinterest as they sometimes have them that you can screen shot and printed out or you could create your own.

That’s great! Oh no I absolutely know he can understand! Though this was the first time regarding the alarm, that I felt he was listening! I meant I described it as a chat when really it was one way! 😂

Oh i get that with the 1 way chat. 🙂