Noisy cicadas prompt new lessons for some Chicago area students with special needs
SKOKIE, Ill. (CBS) -- The roar of this season's cicada invasion in the Chicago area is only getting worse. It might give you a headache, or just become white noise, but for some people living with special needs the sound can be extremely disruptive.
A program in north suburban Skokie is working on giving its students the tools they need to navigate the noise.
Students at Keshet have Mother Nature to thank for this week's lesson, where students and participants with intellectual or developmental disabilities are learning and adapting to the invasion.
"It was kind of a shock moment of, like, 'Oh my goodness, it's going to really impact them,'" said Keshet director of recreation Stephanie Darnell.
Darnell is one of the Keshet staff members who realized that the cicadas' noisy presence this year could be especially disruptive to their students.
"What would we need and what do we usually do now to prepare our students and our participants for unique situations?" she said.
What they've done is prep work to combat fear of the insects with familiarity – books, videos, plastic cicadas, you name it.
"The book just talks about what cicadas are, what to expect of them. They come out every 17 years, and how are we feeling about that? And it's ok to feel that way," Darnell said.
The hope is the lessons help in emotional and sensory regulation for students like Emma, who even got to hold a cicada during class.
Emma showed off her plan for when their sound gets overwhelming with the help of aide Lexi.
"We might cover our ears a little bit," Lexi said.
For some in the group, headphones are another option to muffle the cicadas' calls. According to the National Institutes of Health, they reach up to 90 to 100 decibels. That's as loud as a lawnmower, motorcycle, or hair dryer.
With an iPad that helps him communicate, Tony shared his strategy.
"Cicadas are noisy," he said. "If Cicadas are too loud, I'll go inside and listen to my own music."
The students' engagement with the lessons shows they're learning, and the strategies for dealing with cicada noise are working, and that's all any teacher wants to see.
"We want every individual we serve to feel welcome, and warm, and comfortable with us. So doing something like this, and going that extra mile pays off every day," Darnell said.
