For both adults and children on the autism spectrum fireworks can be extremely distressing. The noise and sudden nature of fireworks can cause:

• Distress
• Anxiety
• Panic Attacks
• Pain

“Many autistic people enjoy fireworks, but for others, unexpected flashes and loud bangs, as well as large crowds at displays, can be distressing and trigger intense anxiety. For some autistic people it can even be physically painful if they experience sensitivity to light and sound.”
National Autistic Society

“Lots of autistic people enjoy fireworks but for others they can be stressful and overwhelming.”
Ambitious About Autism

Our members have contacted us to tell us of the difficulties they face on a day to day basis. It is impossible for them to plan for fireworks when the current regulations allow them to be set off 16 hours a day, 365 days a year (more on celebration dates).

In Our Members’ Own Words:

AN: “As an autistic person, fireworks affect me for a large period of the year. Many autistic people such as myself often have hyperacusis, which implies extreme sensitivity to sound. For me, fireworks affect my quality of life in an extremely negative way. They are loud, difficult to distinguish from frightening noises such as gunshots and, most importantly, under current government legislation are completely unpredictable. During the autumn and winter months when firework usage is at its highest, I often experience panic attacks, heart and chest pain, my ears ache from overusage of ear coverings and when things get really bad, I need to take sleeping pills, a medication that I have to regulate as I should not take it long-term. This not only affects me but my family, as they struggle to see me suffer when fireworks are let off suddenly for such a long time. 

I understand that fireworks can be beautiful and safe when handled by professionals, but what currently makes them such dangerous items is the fact that any member of the public can buy and set them off at any point of the day or night. It is this unpredictability that makes my life extremely difficult. If fireworks were limited to organised displays, I could prepare in advance with the knowledge that they would only go on for one or two days during certain hours. The current legal boundaries are not enough as, although the festive exceptions to fireworks usage are laid out, no one pays attention to them and there is no punishment for those who throw them outside of the allowed dates.”

KK: I have complex PTSD and autism. For many reasons fireworks are very distressing to me. Complex PTSD means that I startle easily to loud noises especially when they come out of the blue and are unexpected. Like fireworks. They make me jump and cause anxiety. Autism means that I find loud noises distressing, especially when there is no escape from them. Like fireworks. I can’t wear ear plugs because my ears are too sensitive and the sound vibrates in my ears. I have anxiety attacks when fireworks go off, which can last for hours. They don’t just go off on two nights of the year, it’s other times as well and around 5th November they can last for weeks.

AF: my son has severe autism with sound sensitivity it’s hell for him