earplugs/fireworks

[stewark]

Hi,

Has anyone who has a child with sensory issues tried earplugs for the fireworks? My DD11 can't cope with the noise of the fireworks but would love to see them and would love to see Fantasmic which we can't go to because of the fireworks in the show. I was thinking about trying child earplugs - the silocone ones. Has anyone used these and found them to be useful. It says they can reduce sound by 22 decibels if used correctly does anyone know if this would make a significant difference?

Thanks

Karen

 

[Figment1964]

Hi,

Has anyone who has a child with sensory issues tried earplugs for the fireworks? My DD11 can't cope with the noise of the fireworks but would love to see them and would love to see Fantasmic which we can't go to because of the fireworks in the show. I was thinking about trying child earplugs - the silocone ones. Has anyone used these and found them to be useful. It says they can reduce sound by 22 decibels if used correctly does anyone know if this would make a significant difference?

Thanks

Karen

My ds, also 11 with sound sensory issues, did great with the soft earplugs when we were there last summer. He used them at times when I didn't think the sound would bother him but he needed just that little extra help. He just kept them in his fanny pack and pulled them out whenever he needed them. He's used to them because he uses them at home, too. The ones we had reduced the sound up to 30 decibels (just generic from Rite Aid Pharmacy) and he did okay.

 

[inkkognito]

If earplugs do not work, you may want to try hunter's headphones. I have hyperacusis, and the sounds that I cannot handle are fireworks/backfiring/gunshot-type pitches. Ear plugs don't do a thing for me; with the headphones, I can still hear the sounds, but they take off the "edge" (hard to explain, but they somehow "blunt" the part that causes pain for me). You can find them online at hunting/shooting stores, and they work on battery power.
Barb

 

[TDS373X]

I think we are going to try this too not only for fireworks but for things like Philharmagic and Muppets. Between the 3D effects and LOUD sounds dd5 ASD is overloaded. I know she would love Fantasmic but the noise would not make it fun...thanks for these suggestions

 

[Ashley]

I don't have a medical problem with loud sounds, but just wanted to pipe in with my experience. Very loud noises for extended duration (like a llong show or a band concert) give me nasty headaches, so I started taking a pair of foam earplugs (dad gets them at work - he's a welder) with me to WDW and I put them in whenever I think the show's going to bother me (one of the worst for me is Universe of Energy). They dim the noise enough to keep me from getting a headache, but I can still hear everything that's being said in the show.

 

[Nellas Elensar]

Stewark,

I am a person with sensory issues. I am 22 years old and a Kentuckian. Due to cancer when I was an infant, I lost the eyesight in my right eye, and my hearing had gotten incredibly sensitive since then. It had gotten to the point where I couldn't stay and enjoy fireworks displays at the parks. My family tried earphones, and it worked, but when I relapsed into the fear/phobia, they realized that earphones alone wouldn't work. We then tried earplugs AND earphones, and it has worked beautifully. If I were you, I would get your daughter a set of good earphones (not necessarily the ones that are electronic, but a basic pair) and a good pair of earplugs and she'll be ready to go.

Nellas Elensar

 

[Ambassador]

We tried the over-the-counter foam type for one of our little delegation, who has sensory issues with loud sounds. They seemed to work for him, except they were too large for his ear canal, intended for adults probably. We trimmed them smaller, which made them easier for him to lose a few minutes later. There must be smaller child-sized inserts available.

 

[Nellas Elensar]

I am currently using the earplugs that are connected by some sort of cord, probably industrial strength because they block out almost everything. I used to use the foam ones, but they fell out of my ears very easily during the moments when I needed them most.

Nellas Elensar

 

[mlwear]

I am interested to try earplugs with fireworks. My son cannot tolerate the booms. I now hate the fourth of July. It is a terrilbe night.
Anyway...we went to an air show this weekend and were supplied with ear plugs. They were silicone, I believe, and graduated in diameter and were on a cord. It was wonderful. My son loved wearing them. He even said "I'm not scared anymore". He wore them the whole day, even at home. Wore them to school the next day, too.
The jets were LOUD at the airshow and he didn't even flinch. Looking forward to this fourth of July.

 

[Nellas Elensar]

I guess I have the silicone ear plugs too. They are great.

Nellas Elensar

 

[zaksmom]

My son uses the earmuffs that you can buy at a sporting store - intended to use with firearms, also used by people who work around planes, loud equipment etc. They fold and come with a belt clip. He even uses them in shows he's not seen in case something unexpected happens! Says he can still hear what the people are saying, but it muffles the loud noises. He always used them at Illuminations when young, now just a security thing to have them. At the same store they sold ear plugs with a headband kind of thing attached. That might work for those who lose the earplugs due to size.
Good luck.