A friend of the site has an autistic child who is scared of birds so today we thought to dive into the issue.

After researching online and taking over the problem with our friend it seems this is quite a common phobia.

Lets therefore explore what it may be about birds which are so concerning to autistic children.

Autism and being afraid of birds

If you took a selection of society and asked them what animal or creature they were scared of common answers would be spiders and snakes.

But birds? What is it about them which makes some autistic individuals feel so uncomfortable.

Unpredictability

Birds can be unpredictable in their movements and vocalisations. This unpredictability can be anxiety-provoking for someone who prefers knowing what to expect.

Contrast for example the consistency of cats with their slow and predictable movements. Then compare that to the sudden twitching, flapping and turns of speed that birds can make.

Sensory factors

Autistic kids can be hypersensitive to certain sounds, sights, or movements.

Singing, flapping wings, or quick flight patterns could be overwhelming or startling for someone with this sensitivity.

Take our friends child for example. They’ve managed to pin the fear down to the flapping of birds wings.

Specifically pigeons for him but has since evolved to all birds. Pigeons make a loud and chaotic flap of their wings to gain flight.

If someone is sensitive to sound and sudden movements it is understandable to be scared of such behaviour.

Previous negative experiences

If a child has had a negative experience with a bird, such as being pecked or chased, they may develop a fear of them.

This is true for anyone, not just autistic individuals to be fair.

It wouldn’t necessarily be something so dramatic as being pecked but even a bird suddenly swooping down in front of them could have left a mental scar.

Autistic children often have good memories as well so something which you or I may forget, may stick for an autistic child.

Bird eating habits

Birds can be quite brutal little creatures when you watch them.

Spend any time in a park and you’ll see birds pouncing on worms or insects with immediate turns of ferocity.

If you were an autistic child and who otherwise had an interest in bugs this may be really alarming to you.

Then you have birds swarming over food either left out or deliberately given to them.

Countless times my family and I have been out and suddenly been surrounded by birds either hoping to find or be given food.

Just throwing some leftover bread into the air can result in hundreds of our feathered friends arriving.

This intense desire for food or to be fed can be anxiety inducing for autistic kids.

Flock mentality

Some autistic children may be anxious about being in public or around large groups of people.

The presence of birds, especially in a flock, could exacerbate this anxiety for some.

Again imagine you were an autistic child minding your own business in a garden. Then out of nowhere a flock of 25 birds descend around you.

This could be extremely alarming and contribute to your fear of birds.

How to manage an autistic child who is scared of birds

After covering some of the reasons behind the phobia it might be helpful to suggest some potential management tips.

Plan ahead

This is probably the number one tip out friend mentioned. He and his family have to think carefully about where and when they are venturing out.

Over time try to take mental notes of areas frequented by birds. Some of the common places would be parks and beaches. But you will know your areas of concern close to you.

It may be a friend’s garden, outside a particular store or in a specific car park.

Where you can, try to avoid such places or at least bring coping aids such as ear defenders to assist your child.

Gradual exposure

We would never recommend outright chucking your kids in the deep end, but some gradual exposure may help.

An example of this could be a friend or family member who has a calm bird as a pet.

Exposing your child to a bird in a cage who they can observe and even feed may be helpful.

Encourage play and learning

One tactic you could try is to buy your child bird related toys and books.

A soft and comforting bird toy could break the negative loop of experiences your child associates with the animal.

Also you could encourage them to watch kids shows with birds in them. The children’s YouTuber ‘Steve and Maggie‘ features a bird puppet.

In this show ‘Maggie’ is Steve’s friend and they get up to all sorts of fun together.

This could help also.

Summary – Autistic child scared of birds?

An autistic child may be scared of birds for various reasons.

Some possible factors include sensory sensitivities, fear of unpredictable movements or sounds which can affect their interactions with birds.

Understanding and respecting individual differences in our children is crucial when raising happy and thriving kids.

Any tips or ideas?

We would love to hear from you if you have got any techniques or ideas for our readers to try.

Be sure to leave a comment if any of the above has helped or if you have any ideas we can add to this article.

Also be sure to search for any other articles you might find helpful.

Try for example searching below for topics like ‘meltdown’ or ‘communication’.