Auditory Sensory Avoiders: Handling Public Bathrooms

Inside you’ll find: Ways to alleviate your child’s anxiety when it comes to public restrooms and their auditory defensiveness.

Walking into a public bathroom with your child can seem like walking into a minefield if your child has sensory issues.

Shockingly loud and unexpected noises await around every corner and the echo is disorienting.

Learn a couple tips and tricks that can alleviate some of the terror of the toilet room!

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Earphones

Every parent of an auditory defensive avoider should have Noise Reduction Earmuffs handy at all times. I like these because they’re collapsible and fit easily in my purse.

The relief that comes over a child’s face when you put this over their ears is obvious. They can still hear you, but the intensity of everything will be lessened.

Fool the Automatic Toilet

This is a handy trick for those pesky automatic toilet that like to shock you with a surprise roar and an ill-timed flush.

Have Sticky Notes in your purse and take a sheet and place it over the sensor. This will buy your child plenty of time to do their business without the threat of premature eviction.

Carry a Towel

Electric hand dryers sound like a jet engine starting up! It’s ridiculous.

While you can’t keep other users from causing the ruckus, you can give your child an alternative by keeping a dry wash cloth or hand towel in your purse (now I finally understand why moms have such massive purses! LOL)

Avoid It Entirely

While it’s obviously not always an option, a little planning can help the public bathroom needs to be infrequent. Have your auditory defensive kid to go to the restroom at home before going out. When your child is potty training, how a portable kids potty in your car. It’s not glamorous, but neither is a sensory meltdown!

If a family bathroom is an option, that reduces the number of stressors because no one else is there making noise and there’s just one toilet!

Get Sensory Activities Beforehand

All the other tips have focused on helping your auditory avoider be really good at avoiding the auditory input of public bathrooms.

But you want to also be proactive in helping your child be prepared to handle unwanted sensory input.

Consistent sensory activities are the KEY! Especially proprioceptive input like heavy work and weight can help the brain regulate well during stress sensory moments.

Have more questions??? Check out this wildly popular series of Sensory FAQs and become a more confident sensory parent today!