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I have a son who is Autistic and one of the things he does is he likes to jump. It's a sensory thing, but my problem is he hangs out in this one corner of the therapy room and jumps up and down landing very hard. Well, the therapy room is on the second floor right above the kitchen. The corner where he jumps is right above the kitchen sink where we have a single recessed light fixture.
about a week ago, we started seeing the light flicker as he jumped. Of course we have (since the beginning) been trying to get his to stop this, but have yet to build their new therapy room in the first floor.
Well, one day it blew out, and we changed it. Well the next light blew out within days, and now we have a thrid light in their that flicker even when he isn't jumping
We could really use some help. What is the best steps to take care of this? should we have an electrician come in and look, or is it just a matter of changing out the fixture?
It sounds like you have an intermittent connection from the repeated movement. It could be a matter of removing it and tightening the wire nuts, or it could be just the tab at the base of the socket. Intermittent connections are heat generators and potential fire hazards, so don't ignore it.
Power the circuit off at the circuit breaker. Don't just rely on turning off the light switch. The first thing to check is the center tab, where the base of the lamp (light bulb) makes contact. Chances are, this is the source of the flicker. You can use a bent paperclip or other object to force the flattened tab of metal up in the little well formed by the screw threads. That tab has to press against the base contact of the lamp with a little force, and when a lamp is screwed in too hard, or heat and movement affect it, it'll retreat into the bottom of the socket. If it looks corroded, a tiny strip of sandpaper over a pencil eraser can be used to remove the corrosion. Replace the lamp with either an extreme service lamp, or one that has a voltage rating of 130 volts. The filaments in these are thicker and stronger. Chances are, this will be all you need to do. If the flicker remains:
Pull the center of the fixture downwards (it'll be held in by a couple of springlike wire hangers). Press the spring wire clips together to loose the socket from the fixture base. It'll come free and hang by wire(s). Push the lamp socket to the side and you will see where the wires go into a junction box, either on the socket section of the fixture, or attached to a joist. Use a screwdriver to open the junction box and pull the wiring out. One at a time, twist off the colored plastic wire nuts, examine the wires for signs of heating or arcs. If clean, just twist the nuts back on tight. If not clean, you can usually use a pocketknife to remove the corrosion and still have solid wire for a fresh connection. In a worst case situation, you cut the damaged tip off and remove a little more insulation to get a fresh bit of wire. Re-attach the spring clips, and push the socket upwards.
Bet he likes the sounds he gets in that spot. Maybe a 4 x 4 square of 3/4" plywood screwed to 2x4s around the edges and possibly a bit of carpet underneath would act as a springboard and give a nice sound and bounce that wouldn't jar the house?
The room he is jumping in is wall to wall carpet, but he lands really hard, because the heavy thumping helps him deal with sensory issues. When they (I actually have two autistic kids) *walk* around, it's like a stampede....lol and you are probably right, it squeeks in that corner now...
We are planning on moving the therapy room downstairs. We are building a room with a concrete foundation and extra heavy duty sub flooring It's just taking time with the contractors, and permits.
We are going to re-do that floor and strengthen it as well. can't hurt....lol But we need to get the other room done as it is like their "playroom" and they spend a lot of time in there......
Thanks again Harry! I was worried about it and as soon as it started flickering last night, I made a point to keep it off.
Just a suggestion - I don't think he will like the room with the concrete floor and no sound or movement and you may have challenges getting him to use it or adjust. Have you tried out such an environment for him to be sure it will be OK? Although I hate noise, I'd try to limit it within certain areas rather than eliminate it entirely. It does seem to be particularly important to some autistics. -edit- Let me rephrase that last. There seems to be an important link with the world expressed in the body movement and auditory/physical response of the immediate environment. For some, I think removing that could be the same as forcing a person who hears to wear earmuffs, or a sighted person to wear glasses that blurred the vision. I would be cautious about a change like a concrete floor, and want to watch for negative reactions or lethargy. Again, just my opinion.
Last edited by harry chickpea; 07-12-2009 at 11:06 AM..
Just a suggestion - I don't think he will like the room with the concrete floor and no sound or movement and you may have challenges getting him to use it or adjust. Have you tried out such an environment for him to be sure it will be OK? Although I hate noise, I'd try to limit it within certain areas rather than eliminate it entirely. It does seem to be particularly important to some autistics. -edit- Let me rephrase that last. There seems to be an important link with the world expressed in the body movement and auditory/physical response of the immediate environment. For some, I think removing that could be the same as forcing a person who hears to wear earmuffs, or a sighted person to wear glasses that blurred the vision. I would be cautious about a change like a concrete floor, and want to watch for negative reactions or lethargy. Again, just my opinion.
Hi Harry
I appreciate you taking the time to voice your view...The fact that you are concerned shows true caring
I think he likes it to be stiff because it is the impact of hitting the floor that he craves. The more impact, the better. He has done this whether the floor was flexible or not. Before we bought this house, we lived in military housing where the floor was concrete with linoleum tile over it and he still did it.
In the new room we are going to put down a rubber mat made for therapy rooms to help soften the blow a little. We use to have a trampoline, but it gave too much and he preferred the floor.
My boys are twelve now, and they have gone thru many phases of learning and adjusting to different environments. We have actually worked with a specialist in behavior who comes into your home to help get it organized to make it the most suitable for their needs. We planned it all along with an Occupational therapist, a Physical therapist, and Speech therapist. Together we have designed a room just for them. Now it is the time it takes to get the room built, and get the equipment in there
I really appreciate the help you have offered, and your concerns You are a very kind person....
Ah! OK, cool. He will be stressing joints, but them's part of what can happen. Hope you get that special room together soon.
As for me, I'm just a regular ol' outspoken chickpea, but I appreciate the sentiment. It'll balance some of the comments I get from the other end of the spectrum...
yeah, I know, it scares me to think what sort of abuse they put their bodies thru! I try to eliminate as much as possible, but in some cases it just makes things worse, so you kinda have to find that middle ground. Something that helps them but isn't too hard on their bodies......
Amen. That balance can be elusive. Glad you understand it. It makes life more peaceful.
Online, it's refreshing to read something other than someone coming up with a stupid smart aleck remark, or just being flat out rude. It's amazing how people are so quick to act like complete morons on line.
Even worse, it's hard not to get caught up in it sometimes, but it gets real old real fast....and a simple exit usually suffices.
I appreciate that you took your time and was straight forward in explaining a problem to me, and even more so, shown sincere concern for my son.
You just don't see that normally from others on line very much, so like I said before ....Thanks
You seem to have gotten yourself quite a good balance there....bet it's not very far from who you are in real life....
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It's just taking time with the contractors, and permits.
