As Chicagoans await the emergence of the cicadas, parents of children on the autism spectrum and/or who have sensitivities to sound can take a few steps to prepare for what is expected to be a loud summer.
"Some children on the spectrum can struggle with loud or unexpected noises, such as toilets that automatically flush, fireworks around the Fourth of July or the emergence of a large number of cicadas," said Dr. Rachel Follmer, assistant professor of developmental behavioral pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and a physician at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago. "Sometimes, when they're prepared that something will be loud, they may be better able to tolerate the sound. It's not just that the sound is loud but that it happens unexpectedly."
