Big Kids

Boy, 5, uses a hand dryer and his mum is celebrating an 'Olympic-sized win'

It's something we all take for granted. 

When we need to dry our hands we stick them under the dryer, and within seconds you're clean and dry – no fuss. 

But did you even realise that hand dryers are not for everyone?

 

A post shared by Sara Farrell Baker (@nopurplewalls) on

Mum-of-two, Sara Farrell Baker, figured this out around five years ago as her son was diagnosed with autism and sensory issues.

"Having a child with sensory issues and autism is not something I anticipated when becoming a mother, but it's become my normal," Sara writes. 

"The noises of flushing toilets and hand dryers especially are too much for my son to handle. They scare him, overwhelm him, can be physically painful for his ears, and he has had intense anxiety over them since he was a baby."

Becoming hyper-sensitive to restrooms was never something the mum had anticipated until August came into her life, leading mum to holding out until she gets home to use the bathroom, and you can take for granted that potty training was quite difficult in their household. 

"Today, I walked to August's elementary school, holding his hand and guiding him through a tour of the different areas in this place he will be spending the bulk of his waking hours."

"We passed by the boy's restroom after we explored the cafeteria and I asked him if he wanted to flush the toilet to check out the noise level and try washing his hands on his own."

August used the restroom, and proceeded to wash his hands. 

 

Having a child with sensory issues and autism is not something I anticipated when becoming a mother, but it's become my normal. . I have been hyper aware of restrooms for almost five years. The noises of flushing toilets and hand dryers especially are too much for my son to handle. They scare him, overwhelm him, can be physically painful for his ears, and he has had intense anxiety over them since he was a baby. I frequently hold it if we are out so I don't need to bring him inside of a public bathroom. Potty training was extra-stressful for having to assure and reassure him that he would be alright if someone turned on a hand dryer while he was going. . Today, I walked to August's elementary school, holding his hand and guiding him through a tour of the different areas in this place he will be spending the bulk of his waking hours. We go back tomorrow and Friday so I can make sure he knows where things are, what adults will be near him if he needs help, and how he is expected to behave. We passed by the boy's restroom after we explored the cafeteria and I asked him if he wanted to flush the toilet to check out the noise level and try washing his hands on his own. . After washing his hands, August pulled down a paper towel to dry himself off. The. He stared for a moment at the dryer. I told him he could try it if he wanted to– my attempt at encouraging him to try new things with no doubt in my mind that he was going nowhere near that contraption. . He placed his hand underneath and I braced myself for the meltdown, shocked that he had done anything and waiting for the fallout. . There was none. . He liked the blue light that glowed on his skin. He giggled at the way the force of the air moved the flesh on his palms. . I started crying, staring at my son feeling fine and even laughing at something that has been a source of fear and anxiety for him for almost his entire life. It's a stupid hand dryer, but this moment meant the world to me. . Seeing him adapting to the world around him and trying new things are small victories, but this journey makes them feel like Olympic-sized wins. . My son used a hand dryer today. It was one of the proudest moments of my life.

A post shared by Sara Farrell Baker (@nopurplewalls) on

The five-year-old pulled down a paper towel, but then began to stare at the hand dryer. 

Sara encouraged her son to use it, trying to let him know that everything was OK, but knew deep down August wouldn't dare go near the device. 

But August is full of surprises: "He placed his hand underneath and I braced myself for the meltdown, shocked that he had done anything, waiting for the fallout. There was none."

"He liked the blue light that glowed on his skin. He giggled at the way the force of the air moved the flesh on his palms."

 

Last day of school! It took 20 other shots of him smiling like Chandler Bing to get this.

A post shared by Sara Farrell Baker (@nopurplewalls) on

And that was the moment Mum began to cry, because her son using the hand dryer was a bigger milestone than the first day of school, it was something they have been working towards for five whole years.

"I started crying, staring at my son feeling fine and even laughing at something that has been a source of fear and anxiety for him for almost his entire life. It's a stupid hand dryer, but this moment meant the world to me."

"Seeing him adapting to the world around him and trying new things are small victories, but this journey makes them feel like Olympic-sized wins."

 

A post shared by Sara Farrell Baker (@nopurplewalls) on

Because the every day tasks which we take for granted can be a source of anxiety and fear for others, something which may not cross our minds very often, it can be as simple as using a hand dryer. 

"My son used a hand dryer today. It was one of the proudest moments of my life," concluded Sara. 

Sara might be proud of August for his achievement, but so are we – nothing's impossible. 

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