They may struggle to believe that the auditory issue is real for the child, as their nervous system perceives the incoming sound information differently and without struggle. Many times the adults around the child will identify a behavior challenge while not always identifying the root. To survive they may learn to cope by tuning out, hyper-focusing on something else, holding their hands over their ears, attempting to escape the situation in which they find themselves, or by acting out in such a way that the adults are left no choice but to remove them from the situation. The child that is moving through their day in a defensive mode can often struggle to stay calm enough to play with friends, learn at school and be part of a family dynamic at home. This means that sounds and voices that would not register at all, or would not be perceived as irritating to a typically functioning nervous system, are perceived by the child as too loud, too high pitched, or otherwise difficult to tolerate, and so he must defend himself against them. When the World Gets Too LoudĪuditory defensiveness is a clinical condition in which a child is highly sensitive to sound. What these parents are describing is a condition known as “auditory defensiveness”. Parents may also share that their child seems overly sensitive, is anxious in new environments, needs more protection from the world, and exhibits tactile and or movement sensitivity. These children often ask, “Did you hear that? – What’s that noise? – Who’s talking?”, when the parent doesn’t hear anything at all. They will tell me about a child who seems unsettled or distressed in loud environments, frequently covers their ears to sounds that other children tolerate, are bothered by noises made by everyday things like vacuum cleaners and hair dryers, or avoids activities that have loud environments such as parties, ballgames, and movies. What is Auditory Defensiveness, how are some children affected, and what role does an Occupational Therapist play in treatment?Ĭommonly, when parents and teachers find out that I am a Sensory Integration trained Occupational Therapist, they will ask questions about either sound sensitivity or touch sensitivity.
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