She's 6. My sister brought up about possible ear infection too. She seems to be doing better. I found out that the special ed teacher has been doing testing for annual IEPs.

It could be medical....have you checked for ear infection? redness behind the ear? I had awful ear infections when I was a child and it took my mom seeing several different doctors to get the diagnosis. ;/ I didn't have the typical signs, but I would get upset lying down and stuff.

It could also be she is not sleeping well or stressed out more than usual and the sounds are just getting to her more than normal. Just like when we don't sleep well or whatever isn't working other sensory aspects can seem more intense than usual. Good luck.

I did make an appointment with her pediatrician to check her ears for infection to be on the safe side. She has been doing alot better since the construction has stopped at her school too. I haven't even tried running the dishwasher or dryer, though.

Ah, the testing, good you found out! That makes sense. Glad she's doing better!

@A MyAutismTeam Member I shield my daughter by reducing stress. If she gets stressed, she becomes anxious and it becomes difficult for her to control her reactions. With a lot of trial and error I can tell the stress triggers and we either reduce or avoid them till she is better. I have taught her to say “E is freaking out” when she is having a hard time and if she can’t tell what’s bothering her then we change the environment.
In case of an adult, it would be the same.
What caused you to quit working? How long was your longest employment? What kind of work did you do?