Fear of public restrooms

[spinbaby]

Maybe some of the smart minds in here can offer suggestions.

I have an eight-year-old grandson with autism. He has very minimal communication skills, but is toilet trained.

A thing that happened during the pandemic is that he’s developed a fear of public restrooms. Bathrooms at mommy’s, daddy’s, grandma’s, and school are just fine, but a public restroom is met with frantic screaming, clawing, and fighting to get away. We think this has to do with auto-flush toilets, although sinks and paper-towel dispensers seem to elicit the same response. He’s already difficult enough to take out, this doesn’t make it any easier.

[Thomas Hurt]

1. hearing protection? or would wearing a set of those scare him as well?

[spinbaby]

2. He's not normally bothered by noise

It seems to be some generalized fear.

[blueinredohio]

3. When both my granddaughter s were small

they were scared to death of public bathrooms not because of auto flush but because they were so loud.