Autistic 7-year-old 'terrified' by loud fireworks banged head on floor for hours and bit himself out of distress
A severely autistic little boy reportedly made himself bleed after becoming distressed by fireworks.
While most Brits look forward to November 5 to celebrate Guy Fawkes Night, also known as Bonfire Night, it has become a "nightmare" for Chris and Emma Hocking as their seven-year-old son Corey becomes incredibly upset with the loud bangs that go off.
The 44-year-old father, from Blackburn, said that Corey, who is non-verbal and doubly incontinent, became frustrated and was unable to sleep during this year's festivities.
However, it was nothing compared to what the parents experienced last year around the same time.
According to them, Corey (in picture above taken from GoFundMe) was so terrified that he bit himself, hit himself in the face, and smacked his head onto the ground out of fear. The youngster's nose was bleeding and he cried for at least an hour and a half after.
Now, Chris is urging the public to understand the effect fireworks can have on people with autism.
"Corey likes the bright lights but he’s very, very sensitive to noise," the embattled father told Metro UK. "Last year, around Bonfire Night, we were out with him and some fireworks went off and he got distressed."
"He was biting himself and hitting himself in the face and he busted his nose," he continued. "He gave himself a bloody nose because he got so worked up and he was in tears for an hour and a half because he just can’t stand the loud banging and constant noise."
According to Chris, it is difficult to get Corey to sleep at night despite him being on melatonin, especially with the "constant fireworks going off."
"Around here, they go off till 3 am. It frustrates him because he’s not expecting them," he explained. "I don’t think he understands it’s this time of year – his understanding is very limited with these types of things – but when the bangs come out of the blue, he really doesn’t like it."
The parents now wish to buy Corey a specially designed bed which is bite-proof, waterproof and robust and will meet all of his needs. However, the bed costs nearly $11,000 and the couple have started a GoFundMe page asking for the public’s help in raising the funds.
Unexpected nature of firework displays can "cause anxiety and stress, and for those with sensory issues fireworks can be very disturbing", according to the National Autistic Society.
