Sensory overload?

[firefly87]

Ok, this is a weird question......here's the situation.......I have custody of my 4 y/o nephew and we are taking him to DL for the first time in about 2 weeks. He has never been officially diagnosed with anything but when he gets overly stimulated or nervous, he does this weird rapid blinking thing with his eyes. We've just kind of noticed him doing it lately and are not really sure why it happens. His behavior doesn't necessarily change, it's just this eye blinking thing which could maybe not even be anything to worry about??

With all the commotion, lights, sounds, etc at DL, I am wondering if this will just overload him? Has anyone else ever had any experience with this and if so, any suggestions on how to deal with it? I thought I could remove him from areas that are highly stimulating and find some more of the quieter areas of DL. I am wondering if he will be able to handle Buzz's Astro Blasters?

Anyway, strange question, but hopefully someone can jump in with some info!
Thanks!!

 

[bumbershoot]

My 4 year old gets a bit twitchy too. He can do eye stuff, but it's only when he has eaten things he absolutely can't have, like corn syrup and anything related to that (his diet at Disneyland is very limited b/c of that, b/c so much of their snack food has those things in it), and it's more along the lines of rolling eyes, out of control...not just blinking.

On our last trip I finally realized that earplugs would help him. It was actually Buzz that helped us realize that it was the overwhelming sounds bugging him. So I gave him my earplugs, and although they were too big for him (and that's kinda gross to share them), they *really* helped him. He could go on Buzz and many others. I never noticed until then just how loud Disneyland and DCA are...everywhere there's noise, and loud noise at that.

So I would recommend trying some earplugs or ear muffs or something like that...see if it helps to tone down the overwhelming nature of the place.

 

[Corpsebride]

I totally agree with the ear plugs. I know just for myself when I am in a loud place,I feel a bit overwhelmed and kind of need to blink to regain my focus. Sunglasses are good for blinking lights too. My eyes are pretty sensitive to bright bright and blinking lights so I wear sunglasses a lot. maybe your nephew could try those too.
I hope you all have a wonderful time!!

 

[firefly87]

Hey thanks to both of you! Those are both great ideas. I hadn't thought of ear plugs, but that totally makes sense too. Now that I think about it, they will help when we watch the fireworks as when they launch, it's quite loud!

He just got some new Cars sunglasses for his birthday, so we'll definitely be bringing those along!!

We're going to celebrate my 40th! I can't wait!!!

 

[DizNee Luver]

My twins have sensory issues (they're 21mths). They get overstimulated by loud noise & lots of lights. I'd suggest not watching the fireworks or Fantasmic (which are both beautiful.....but you may have to give them up). Most of the rides in Fantasyland should be ok. You may find that going from daylight into the darkrides could be a problem, so start with the best one (Peter Pan) & see how he does. IASW should be ok, music tends to be soothing for our girls & with it being repetative, it may work the same for him. The tiki room is a hard call....great music, but a lot of things going on at once & the thunderstorm could set him off. The Jungle Cruise would probably be fine, POTC (depending on how he did in the darkrides), Winnie the Pooh is very bright colored so play it by ear. I think the key is to not do too much at a time. A ride now & then, spend the other time walking & looking around.
I really hope he has a great time!!! Remember, stepping out of the parks & going back to your motel for some unwinding time will be a must.

 

[firefly87]

Thanks DizNee for that helpful info. We will be there for 5 days, so I'm sure we can take it slow & easy with him. Plus we've got 3 "grandmas" going so we will have lots of help & extra hands!

Our plan is to watch the fireworks hopefully once in the park (depending on how he does). The other times, we were going to watch them from where we are staying. I doubt we'll see Fantasmic. It's too late for me to stay up and watch and if I had to stay up to watch something, I'd pick the fireworks any day!

 

[bumbershoot]

firefly, on most Fantasyland mornings, DS wants to start with Dumbo and the Teacups, b/c those are outside. I think he likes Casey, too, because of it being outside. The day we tried Peter Pan first off, when he was already overtired, wasn't fun. And that is despite the fact that we've been multiple times since Sept '07, and he knows that he likes the ride.

I don't like Fantasmic. I was SO glad that DS had completely passed out in the stroller before F, because even hubby and I were overwhelmed by the noise and the images. Scary, too loud, freaky. I'm not a Fantasmic fan!!! I don't know how DS slept through it all, but he did...otherwise we would have had to leave the area within probably 3 minutes.

FYI drugstore.com sells "junior" sized earplugs, which we'll be getting DS for future trips.

 

[firefly87]

You know what Bumbershoot.......I don't really like Fantasmic either! But shhhhh, don't tell anyone! I think it's scary and loud too. About the only part I like of it is when all the characters are on the riverboat.

I've shown my nephew some YouTube videos of some of the dark rides and tried to explain that we go inside to a dark room but there are colorful things to see. I don't think he quite "gets it" but at least I showed him things that could be considered scary like the witch on the Snow White ride just so he gets a feel for some of it. I think for him, def. outside rides to start off the trip!!

I am also curious how he will be with the characters. He has absolutely no fear of strangers (which scares me to death) and will talk to ANYONE. I think he'll like the people characters but am wondering how he'll do with the characters with the giant heads!

 

[clairabell29]

My son was totally overloaded when we took him for his 3rd birthday. He had gotten up early, gone on his first airplane ride and then strait to the park. He walked in and we stood by city hall for about an hour. Everytime we asked if he wanted to walk, he'd say "no I'm looking". As the day went on he was so overwhelmed we did very little, just let him look and get a feel for DL. The rest of the week though, it was "LETS GO TO DISNEYLAND" Now it's 5 months later and it's STILL all he can talk about. So as long as you take your time and go at HIS pace you should be fine. The earmuffs work GREAT by the way. He will need them just about everywhere. OH and you can get an animal shaped backpack with a leash on them and they are GREAT for the times you're standing in line and you're scared they might run off. Most of all have fun and enjoy seeing DL through his eyes.

 

[amyamya]

I have a DS 2 who has Sensory Integration issues and his therapist encouraged us to go to DL, but to bring earplugs. My son did much better than we thought he would with the exception of Roger Rabbit. That ride is so loud and there is a dynamite area with flashing strobe light and he was buried in my lap for most of the ride. I'd avoid it, plus I think it is totally outdated (a bunch of tweens in line behind us had no idea what the plot of the movie was/who the characters were) We skipped the fireworks but he has seen them other places and had no issue. I am not a fan of F! either so we skipped that. He even did great in MuppetVision 3D which amazed me!

 

[tripletlyblessed]

Great tip for the earplugs! My youngest is super sensitive to noise so I'll be getting some. I also like the idea of showing them the Youtube videos of the rides. I've been talking a lot about it the trip and rides and the movies for some rides and that seems to help. I also remind them when they start talking about how scary it is that they can put their head down.

Also, won't help the OP much but maybe others, we've been to DLR a lot but this coming trip will be my aunts first in a while so i've been telling dd3 how she has to show Aunt J this or that ride. Dd is very excited to show her all of these things that she otherwise if leery of.

 

[mechurchlady]

It is a coping mechanism used by us who have sensory issues. We get built up nervous energy and need to release it. Chewing, rapid blinking, foot thumping, playing with something like hair and a lot of other stuff happens. I would suggest you talk to the people in the disAbilities board as they can help you. It is the behavior thread that would be best and they really helped me.

 

[Escape2Disney]

My daughter also has sensory issues. We've gone to DL every year since she was 4, and it has become much easier for her over the years. We've learned (as others have said) to use earplugs and watch videos of the rides before we go. It has also helped to review a map of the park a few times before we go so she can get an idea of what to expect.

We always take a mid-day break - trying to coincide with the busiest time in the park. We also book PS for a sit-down dinner every night. If you call ahead and tell them the situation, they will happily seat you in a quieter corner of the restaurant. This is especially true for character meals. Hostesses has been great about letting the characters know so they come to the table one at a time so she isn't overwhelmed.

 

[Tasscrapper]

I'm glad I poked my head in here. The last trip I took both my dd and I had issues with rides being to loud. I was getting headaches from it. My brother actually had pair of earplugs and let us borrow them and they really helped. I would have forgotten to had them to the packing list if I hadn't stopped in here so thanks for starting the thread.

 

[nunzia]

My 7 yo DGS has Aspergers and he kind of does this as well as other coping things when he gets over stimulated. We are just careful to watch him and make him feel confortable to leave the scene if he needs to. He also had no problem doing things he was familiar with..even if they were technically scarier rides (like Indy and Star Tours) but something out of his comfort zone like Roger Rabbit threw him for a loop..he freaked out because 'the eyes are weird" (the eyes on the cars). It's just a learning thing to see how they can cope..just go easy and be aware of his reactions.

 

[nunzia]

I love fantasmic! and oddly enough the DGS did fine with it..I also worry some about my 6 yo dgs..he is sensitive to sound and will put his hands over his ears when overwhelmed. But..as he gets older and learns better coping he seems to be outgrowing it..

 

[DorkyDisneyMom]

My oldest boy has a diagnosis and the biggest thing that helped him was a stroller. We used the big ones from Disney and he really liked it. It gave him a safe place to unwind as we were traveling from ride to ride. He also really liked the canopy on it. I think it helped him feel a little more secure.

We don't use a stroller in our regualr life but at Disneyland it helped so much.

 

[DizMe]

My dd has been going to DL since she was 4. She has sensory integration issues, too, but it's very hard to predict sometimes! She is absolutely fine with most things, even though so much in DL/CA is LOUD, but certain things are very hard for her. Crowds make her very nervous, but she still likes being in them! She copes by chewing on something (her sweatshirt sleeve was soaked before we noticed and bought her a "chewie"), walking in a pattern (only stepping on certain shaped or colored paving stones, twisting her hair, etc as mechurchlady said.

What she can't tolerate is fireworks, Fantasmic, cannons, and anything else that has bursts of booming or explosive-type action. For those things, there is nothing to be done but completely avoid them. We made the mistake of trying fireworks one year and I thought she'd crawl inside my clothing. We had to get away to a darker, quieter place as quickly as possible, which wasn't easy with the crowds!

The earplug suggestion is great, but do be aware that for some kids, it's not enough in some situations and you just have to forget that event, at least until they're older.

Also, and this is much easier I would assume with a boy, many of these kids are scared silly by self-flushing toilets. There is one bathroom that I know of that has the lever type, and it is near the entrance to DL on the bank side. My dd is afraid of ANY public toilet as they tend to be quite loud and scary to her, but at least the ones that you control manually give her the opportunity to exit the stall before I push the handle.

 

[firefly87]

My dd has been going to DL since she was 4. She has sensory integration issues, too, but it's very hard to predict sometimes! She is absolutely fine with most things, even though so much in DL/CA is LOUD, but certain things are very hard for her. Crowds make her very nervous, but she still likes being in them! She copes by chewing on something (her sweatshirt sleeve was soaked before we noticed and bought her a "chewie"), walking in a pattern (only stepping on certain shaped or colored paving stones, twisting her hair, etc as mechurchlady said.

What she can't tolerate is fireworks, Fantasmic, cannons, and anything else that has bursts of booming or explosive-type action. For those things, there is nothing to be done but completely avoid them. We made the mistake of trying fireworks one year and I thought she'd crawl inside my clothing. We had to get away to a darker, quieter place as quickly as possible, which wasn't easy with the crowds!

The earplug suggestion is great, but do be aware that for some kids, it's not enough in some situations and you just have to forget that event, at least until they're older.

Also, and this is much easier I would assume with a boy, many of these kids are scared silly by self-flushing toilets. There is one bathroom that I know of that has the lever type, and it is near the entrance to DL on the bank side. My dd is afraid of ANY public toilet as they tend to be quite loud and scary to her, but at least the ones that you control manually give her the opportunity to exit the stall before I push the handle.

He is fact scared of self-flushing toilets! I think I read somewhere (maybe on this board?) that if you cover up the sensor, then it doesn't know to flush and you can do it at your leisure.

Thank you everyone for all the great suggestions. My nephew didn't seem to be afraid of the fireworks on 4th of July, so I'm hoping he can tolerate the DL ones. I had planned on bringing a blanket to cover the stroller for those times when he needed some "alone time".

Thank you all again!