- Ordered on working days before 23.00, shipped the same day
- Customer satisfaction of 9.2/10
Stop that noise! Stop mommy! This phrase is often heard in a family where a child is sensitive to sound. And often this calling is followed and accompanied by screaming, crying and hands over the ears. The same child himself often likes to create a level of noise much higher than what just bothered him (such as the vacuum cleaner, the mixer) by screaming, banging and testing the range of his voice. This behavior just described is linked to the auditory sensory needs of children.
Want to read more about stimulus processing in general? [Click here]
When we hear a sound, it travels to our brain to be analyzed so that we can generate a response. Such as: What should we do now? What is happening around us? Is it a sound that alerts us to something dangerous or important, such as a fire alarm or a honking horn? Or is the sound quiet and calm, like classical music.
The inner ear has two major organs that, as partners, have major orbits. In general, the cochlea translates and interprets every sound we hear (what is it?). And the vestibule helps take the sound to the brain to integrate the sensations we receive and process the motor responses to the sound (what should I do now?). The inner ear and hearing are also part of our vestibular system, which helps us perform movement and balance.
Children with a healthy hearing system may respond to natural sounds, watch when their name is called, or turn their head to a sound. They may follow verbal cues from their teacher or parent. A child with a well-functioning hearing system can filter out sounds that aren’t important, such as a friend tapping their pencil on the adjacent desk while tuning in to the sounds that are important, such as the teacher’s direction to work on an assignment. This student succeeds in shutting out the unimportant sounds from his environment, in closing himself off from them.
Most children function fine in a noisy environment without missing any information. They are not distracted or overwhelmed by ordinary sounds and often respond automatically, knowing what to do when they hear familiar sounds such as the school bell or alarm clock. Children usually like toys and activities that appeal to the hearing system. Toys or games that make noise have a great appeal.
Children with a healthy functioning hearing system have a healthy awareness of their surroundings, they develop planning and movement skills to respond appropriately to sounds. This also allows them to generate protective reactions in dangerous situations. A fully functioning hearing system is also integral to the development of listening skills, communication, and social skills.
Difficulties arise when the brain does not accurately interpret and respond to the auditory information. Our brains help us listen, process what we hear, and understand what has been said. Some children misinterpret information they hear or miss subtle information, such as a single word. Missing a small word in an instruction can cause a child to carry out the assignment incorrectly.
A child who is hypersensitive to auditory information is easily overwhelmed and even afraid of the volume, pitch and unpredictability of general ambient sounds. This child will try to avoid places and activities where there is a lot of noise or if found in such a situation, withdraw from this busy and noisy environment. A child who is sensitive to sound stimuli can easily be startled or seem distracted, this child focusing on every sound around him. The tapping of a pencil, the sliding of a chair ensures that the child immediately stands up. A child who is hypersensitive to sound may show physical signs of avoidance, such as covering his ears or turning his head away.
The other extreme is a child who is hypersensitive to sound. This child does not register important auditory signals in his environment. This child does not register the sounds around him sufficiently and therefore does not generate an appropriate motor response to the auditory information offered (e.g. starting the assignment, looking up when calling his name). This child can be a noisy child himself, always talking, singing and making sounds to generate extra auditory stimuli for himself. He can talk out loud while performing a task, turning himself on when he completes each step. It is possible that this child does not respond to you when you call him. Not out of unwillingness but simply because he didn’t hear you. This child may also have trouble remembering what you’ve told him. Especially when the instruction is long.
It’s important to recognize that hearing and responding to ambient sounds is only one aspect of the hearing system. Auditory processing is an even more complex layer of the auditory system. Auditory processing refers to the ability to distinguish between similar sounds, being able to tune in to the other person, and being able to absorb and understand relevant verbal information.
If your child has difficulty processing auditory information, seek advice from an occupational therapist specialized in sensory information processing.
More and more therapists are listed on our website that you can call on. Watch here
Share this post via social media
