What can be done:my brother has a fear of balloons, and he is mentally retarded?!
Question:
What can be done:my brother has a fear of balloons, and he is mentally retarded?
My brother, who is a year and a half younger then me, has a horrible fear of balloons. He screams like he's being attacked, and runs away everytime he spots a balloon. Also, he is mentally retarted. "Special" would be another word for his problems. I'm not sure specifically what his problems are, but he has speech problems, something with his bones, and his mind is like a six year old.
So, what can be done about his balloon fear?
Any suggestions?
Thanks in advance! :]
Answers:
Chances are that your brother had some kind of traumatic experience with a balloon at some point, or something associated with balloons. With his condition, he may be sensitive to loud noises, and perhaps it's just the sound of a balloon popping that he dislikes so.
Try exposing him to uninflated balloons. Blow one up a little and let the air out. Let him try it if he wants. If he seems uncomfortable, stop. Try again another time. Keep going until you can blow the balloon all the way up and tie it without upsetting him. Then let him pop it, maybe by sitting on it. Make it fun. The key is patience. Desensitization can take some time.
What's more difficult is if it's not the balloons, but something he associates with them. Perhaps he had a bad time at a birthday party, or maybe he got lost at a carnival. It's hard to say. Just keep trying to replace his negative associations with neutral or positive ones.
Good luck.