Cicadas are generating buzz as the Midwest prepares for the re-emergence of millions of insects for 17 years.
You will hear them buzzing from above and cracking from below.
Although this presents a level of discomfort for the general population, people with autism and other sensory processing disorders will likely experience the effects with greater intensity.
“Our disabled people, and especially our autistic people, are really affected by sound,” said Jen Phillips, president of Keshet, a Northbrook-based nonprofit serving people with disabilities. “And we know it’s going to be really, really loud and the best thing we can do is prepare individuals before it starts.
The people served by Keshet have been preparing for the cicadas for weeks.
“Talk about what they’re going to look like, show them pictures and stories, and then also talk about what it’s going to look like,” Phillips said. “We know the cicadas are going to be all over the ground and disgusting, so what are you wearing.”
She says listening to the sounds of cicadas on a phone as well as looking at pictures and stories are the best ways to prepare. Keshet has a social story on its website linked here to help you.
Phillips also mentions that it’s best to make this experience fun, not scary.
That’s exactly what parent Douglas Weiner does for his 18-year-old son Jonah.
“I think the noise will bother him, anything new will be an adjustment,” he said. “The morning we start seeing them, (we will prepare him) for how he is going to see them in our garden, on the way to school… He is going to hear things differently than usual, he is going to seeing things he doesn’t normally see and everything is fine.
For more information and resources on Keshet, click here.
NBC Chicago
