Behavior Modification for Taylor--Any Suggestions?
As with all of the things that I have had to work on with her, I am trying to work on the issue with the vacuum as well. The only problem with this is, it isn't working. It is getting worse in fact.
She came home from school and I had the electric broom out. We have all hardwood downstairs so there is no need to use a big vacuum. However, it is loud. It is a powerful electric broom.
She saw it out and immediately showed apprehension as she walked by it. She made a droning sound, but let me take her jacket off and hang up her backpack. I then explained to her that, I was going to continue vacuuming, everything was okay and even let her hold onto me while I turned it on.
Full-blown frenzy erupted.
She was ran into the den and began kicking her feet on the couch. She cried so hard that her face was turning beat red. It wasn't a temper-tantrum type of cry. It was the howl from hell that, someone would make while being painfully tortured.
I am running out of behavior modification techniques for her to become accustomed to the sound. If she does go to a larger school next year, even if it is the Autistic one, janitors use vacuums. They are going in stores all of the time. If we go to someone's house and something spills, someone usually pulls out a Dust Buster or a vacuum to clean it up. It is not something that she can be shielded from. I don't have to vacuum around her--I certainly can do it when she is at school. The point is, I have to get her to have less trepidation about the sound and to not go into such panic that she actually shakes in fear.
I have tried to have her help me, showing her how I clean with it, singing while doing it, holding her hand, etc. So far, nothing works.
I bought a yard swing last year from Walmart. It was one of those with the canopy on top and seats up to 3 people. For some reason, it scared her the way the vacuum does now. To get her at ease with it I would take her on my lap, hold her tight while she was screaming, rock the swing and sing. After about 3 days and nights of this, only spending 2 or 3 minutes at a time, she was fine. She now will go right over to the swing if someone is sitting on it and want them to rock it back and forth.
It was the same with the pool. That took less effort however. Once it reached a bath-water temperature she was fine. It still took my doing it twice a day, every day for a few days. She now absolutely loves it and cries if I take her out.
Therefore, here I am--it is 5:15 AM. I have slept less than 2 hours. The contractor is coming to install the new cabinet doors and the new Lazy-Susan cabinet today so I have to get everything cleaned out. In order to do this, I have to use the vacuum. If I don't do it now, I will be doing it as he shows up, prior to her leaving for school. He is coming at 7:30 AM and she leaves here at 8. I can't run it then, and with the old cabinet everything spilled into every corner. It needs to be cleaned out first.
I had no choice but to get up at 3, begin cleaning out the cabinet and am now taking a short break before beginning my vacuuming.
I also would like to complain about the dog. The dog WAS THE VACUUM for a very long time. She is slacking on her duties and I must have a long talk with her about that. It is because of her slacking that I have to use the damn vacuum so much!