David is a wonderful 7-year-old boy who loves being at his home. Home is a special place where David feels safe and happy. At home, David has a best friend, his playful dog, Pete. Pete has soft, brown fur and a wagging tail. Pete loves to play with David, and they often play fetch with a squeaky toy in the living room.
Sometimes, things at home can feel a little different for David. David has super-sensing ears, which means he can hear sounds very clearly. Most of the time, this is great! David can hear the gentle patter of rain outside or the soft purr of Pete when he’s happy. But sometimes, when many sounds happen at once, or if a sound is very loud, it can make David’s ears feel a little overwhelmed. It’s like his ears are getting too much information all at once, and it can make David feel a bit fuzzy or anxious.
One sunny afternoon, David was playing with Pete. Pete found his favorite squeaky toy and started squeaking it very loudly. Squeak! Squeak! Squeak! Then, Mom turned on the blender to make a smoothie for lunch. Whirr! Whirr! Whirr! And then, the delivery truck outside made a loud BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! All these sounds together felt like a big, jumbly noise party inside David’s head. His tummy started to feel a little wobbly, and his super-sensing ears felt a little too full. David felt a bit unfocused and perhaps a little worried.
When David feels many sounds at once, he has some special tools that can help him. David can tell a trusted grown-up, like Mom or Dad, how he is feeling inside. He can say, “My ears feel fuzzy,” or “These sounds are a lot for me right now.” Mom and Dad understand David’s super-sensing ears and want to help.
Another helpful tool is David’s noise-reducing headphones. These headphones are soft and fit nicely over David’s ears. When he puts them on, loud sounds become softer and gentler. It’s like turning down the volume knob on the world, making it much easier for David’s ears to relax. David can keep his headphones in a special basket in the quiet corner of his room, ready for when he needs them.
David can also go to his quiet corner. This is a cozy spot with soft pillows and blankets, and sometimes even a calming picture book. In his quiet corner, David can take three slow, deep breaths. He can breathe in slowly through his nose, hold for a count of three, and then breathe out gently through his mouth like he’s blowing out a candle. Doing this helps his body feel calm and helps his ears feel less overwhelmed.
Sometimes, Pete even knows when David needs quiet. Pete might come and gently rest his head on David’s lap, offering a soft, comforting presence. Pete’s soft fur feels nice to stroke, and it helps David focus on a gentle feeling instead of overwhelming sounds.
David is learning more about his super-sensing ears every day. He knows that his home is a wonderful place, and he has great ways to help himself when sounds feel like too much. By using his voice, his headphones, his quiet corner, and gentle breathing, David can feel calm and happy at home, ready for more fun with Pete.
Leo is a wonderful seven-year-old boy. He likes to learn new things and play with his friends at school. Sometimes, Leo enjoys doing things in a special way, like lining up his pencils perfectly or repeating certain words that make him feel safe and happy.
Today is Tuesday, and it’s time for art class, one of Leo’s favorites! In art class, students get to be very creative. They can draw, paint, or make sculptures. Mrs. Davis, Leo’s art teacher, always has exciting projects. Sometimes, Leo likes to make his artwork just right, which means carefully lining up all the colors in his art box or drawing the same circle many times until it feels perfect to him.
Today, Mrs. Davis announced, “We are going to paint colorful butterflies! Each butterfly can be different and special, just like each of you.” She showed them beautiful pictures of butterflies with all kinds of patterns and colors. Leo looked at the examples. He thought about making all of his butterflies exactly the same, with the same two colors and the same shape, just like he sometimes likes to do with his drawings.
Sometimes, Leo might feel a little bit worried if his art isn’t exactly the way he planned it in his head. He might feel a little tight in his tummy if his pencils aren’t in a straight line or if he can’t say his favorite repeated word a few times before starting. These feelings can make him want to stick to what he knows best, even if it’s a new activity.
Mrs. Davis walked around the room. She noticed Leo looking carefully at the paint, almost ready to pick just two colors. She smiled at him. “Leo,” she said softly, “I wonder what amazing, colorful wings your butterfly will have today? Maybe a little red swirl here, and a big blue dot there?” She pointed to a picture of a butterfly with many different colors.
Leo paused. He looked at the bright red paint, then the shiny blue, and the happy yellow. He thought about how wonderful it feels to try something new. He remembered that it’s okay for his art to be different each time. It’s okay if a line isn’t perfectly straight or if his butterfly isn’t exactly like the one he saw. Taking a deep breath, Leo picked up a brush. He put a splash of yellow next to a swirl of red. Then, he decided on a big, happy blue dot. He painted with careful, gentle strokes.
Leo felt a warm, happy feeling spreading through him. His unique, colorful butterfly was beautiful! It made him smile. He looked around and saw other children’s butterflies, each one unique and special. He realized that trying new colors and shapes felt really good, even if it was a bit different from his usual way. Changing things up can be fun and exciting, and trying new things helps us learn.
At the end of art class, Mrs. Davis held up Leo’s painting. “Look at Leo’s wonderful, colorful butterfly!” she said. Leo felt proud. He learned that even when he likes to do things in a special, repetitive way, it can also be wonderful to try something new and different. He knew his feelings were important, and trying new things could bring even more joy.
