Auditory Sensitivity: Signs, Causes, Overload and How to Help

Auditory sensitivity and overload – A quick summary

Auditory sensitivity occurs when individuals experience sensitivity to certain sounds or frequencies. Often these individuals notice sounds or audio that others don’t.  Typically, their brain perceives auditory sensory sensations more intensely than others. Because of this, noise sensitivity  can lead to sensory or auditory overload. Auditory sensitivity is frequently reported by autistic individuals (ASD) and is sometimes called hyperacusis. If you want to understand more, keep reading and watch the videos below.

A quick video explaining sound sensitivity

If you think your child experiences auditory sensitivity and would to increase your understanding, sign up for Kim’s six day sensory sensitivity challenge. Six days, six emails, six ways you can support your child.

The commonly reported signs of sound sensory issues can include

These are commonly reported signs, but you must remember every child is different so may not experience sound sensitivity in the same way.  Some common signs of auditory hypersensitivity include

Sensitivity in other senses

It is common for children with sound sensitivity can sometimes have sensitivity is other senses.  For example, they may have tactile defensiveness, or touch sensitivity.  Or, they may try to regulate by chewing or putting items in their mouth.

Understand your child’s sensory patterns

If you are based in the UK and your child is aged between 5-12, an online sensory assessment  can help you to understand if your child experiences sensory sensitivities.

The assessment will help you to understand if the behaviours you are seeing are because of an underlying sensory need, such as auditory sensitivity.  You can use the summary report to know what you can do to help your child.

You can complete the form online, and Kim will have the summary and suggestions back to you within 10 workings days of submission.  Click here to learn how you can start helping your child today with an online sensory assessment.

What causes auditory sensitivity?

Auditory sensitivity, or auditory hypersensitivity, to sounds can occur for a number of reasons. Sometimes the hearing sensitivity occurs because of a medical condition (e.g. tinnitus). Or, there may be a structural problem within the ear itself. It can also occur as a side effect of some medications. If this is the case, then the child or adult will need to seek further support from relevant medical professionals.  In this case, it would not be correct to consider the sensitivity as a sensory processing issue.

When there is no medical reason to explain the auditory sensitivity, researchers think that the brain is not processing sounds adequately. Researchers suggest that the part of the brain that receives and filters noise and sound is working differently.  They think the brain pays more attention to sounds than it needs to. It also has difficulty ignoring background sounds.  Let’s call this part of the brain the sensory traffic controller.

Occupational therapists may label auditory sensitivity as an ‘over-responsivity to noise’. This is because children and adults with sensitivity to sounds usually have a bigger response or reaction to noises than might be expected by someone who does not experience auditory hypersensitivity.  The child or adult might be more easily surprised or startled by sounds than others. Or, they may hear sounds that others in the same space don’t hear. They may find it more difficult to ignore sounds.  Or, could become quickly overwhelmed by multiple sounds. This is sometimes called auditory overload.

Auditory overload can cause a ‘fight flight freeze’ response

Your sensory traffic controller receives sensory messages, like sound, and directs them to the part of the brain that needs to process them.  It is also responsible for keeping your body safe. Sometimes it will trigger an automatic safety response called a ‘fight, flight or freeze’ response. This response is a protective mechanism designed to keep you safe.

An example is when you make jump if you hear an unexpected sound.  The sensory traffic controller tunes in to help us locate and identify the sound.  It also  makes us instantly more alert if we hear our head teacher’s or manager’s voice. Researchers think this part of the brain processes sounds differently in children and adults who are overwhelmed by sounds, noise or audio sensory inputs.

Auditory overload often occurs when there are too many sounds happening at the same time.  Or, if the noise is at a certain frequency.  In addition, the brain can also become overwhelmed by noise which has occurred over a period of time.

What is going on when there is auditory hypersensitivity?

Continual attention

It is thought that the sensory traffic controller of children and adults with auditory sensitivity pays much more attention to sounds than expected. Instead of ignoring sounds that aren’t important, it keeps attending to them. This means children and adults with sound sensitivity are more easily distracted to noises in the environment. It can also decrease their ability to focus on the relevant noise (e.g. their teacher talking).

Alerting

Children or adults with hypersensitivity to noise are also typically more easily alerted by sounds than others.  Their sensory traffic controller is more alert and listening out for sounds. When an unexpected sound occurs, instead of directing the sensory messages through to the thinking parts of the brain to understand what it was, the amygdala more readily initiates a fight or flight reaction.  This can also occur when someone is anxious.  So, a person’s level of anxiety will also affect their level of sensitivity to noise.  You might have experienced this if you have ever been walking in the dark in an unfamiliar space.  Here, your senses would typically be more heightened, and you may overreact to a sound which you otherwise would not.  For example, a bird singing might give you a fright.

Overwhelm

Their amygdala can also more quickly overwhelmed by sounds.  This could be because it finds it more difficult to process all of the noises at once.  It could also be because paying attention to all of the audio information in the space, it is processing a lot more information at the same time.

Auditory hypersensitivity  – what does auditory sensory overload feel like?

People who experience auditory sensitivity may be sensitive to certain sounds and not others. They may overreact to sounds or avoid noisy places or activities.  Others might find filtering out background noise more difficult than others do.

People who have auditory hypersensitivity may also experience auditory sensory overload.  This is when the brain becomes overwhelmed by the amount of sound it needs to process.  The brain becomes overloaded by the amount of noise and finds it difficult to focus on other things.  This includes feeling overwhelm when too many competing noises occur at once. For example, if you are trying to have a conversation in a busy café where there is music also playing.  Autistic children and adults frequently report audio sensory overload.\

When auditory overload occurs it is the sensory traffic controller struggles to manage the sensory messages. It becomes overloaded, like a cars in a traffic jam.  One of those traffic jams where all of the cars are beeping their horns. The brain cannot process all of the information and will trigger a fight, flight or freeze response.  So, the child or adult might hit out, run away or shut down. It is important to remember that this is an automatic nervous system response rather than ‘bad behaviour.’

You can help children and adults who experience auditory sensitivity by

Where to next?

If you think your child experiences sensory sensitivities and would to increase your understanding, sign up for Kim’s six day sensory sensitivity challenge. Six days, six emails, six ways you can support your child.

If you want to learn more about other sensory issues, we recommend our articles Signs and Symptoms of Sensory Issues and What is Tactile Defensiveness, or touch sensitivity?

If you want to learn even more, you might be interested in our online sensory processing training courses.  There are three options available depending on your time and needs.

You can also read more about misophonia, another name for sound sensitivity here. The article gives a personal account of the sounds that someone with sound sensitivity might find challenging day to day.

References

1. Ayres, A.J. (1972). SI and Learning Disorders.
2. Dunn, W. (2014). Sensory Profile-2.  User’s Manual. Texas: The Psychological Corporation.
3. Miller, L.J. (2014). Sensational Kids Hope and Help for Children with Sensory Processing Disorder.  Revised
4. Mucklow, N. (2009). The Sensory Team Handboook.

Picture Credits

Hand on wall Photo by Elle Hughes from Pexels, Mother and child from Deposit Photos @HayDmitriy, Boy with headphones Photo by Alireza Attari on Unsplash