Published on 12, July, 2020
My teenage daughter is awaiting diagnosis of ASD due to a number of different issues.
But one of the problems she has is that she can hear any tiny noise, even noises other people cannot hear, and hates bright light.
The noise issue is the hardest one to help her with as it is small noises that she can hear, so I try to be as quiet as I can and not rattle things or make unneccessary noises, but sometimes small sounds just can't be avoided, like my joints cracking or the sound of a page turning, or a pen on paper. It's impossible to be totally silent.
She does play music or watch tv quite loudly and even likes subtitles on so as not to miss a thing.
She goes to senior school and has to deal with the noises there which she does find overwhelming and so comes home tired and irritable.
I do understand that hearing these noises causes her distress and I wondered how other people who have such sensitive hearing are dealing with this?
Hello JennyRobin
I too have sensory hypersensitivity. The smaller repetetive sounds are the worst and can lead to feeling as though I am are going to 'burst' (only way I can describe it) if the noise doesn't stop or if I cannot get out of ear-shot. Louder more positive sounds can drown out the quiet irritants and focus the mind on something 'positive' again.
I use ear-defenders when my ears become 'over-loaded' - the quiet is a relief. Though I wouldn't wear them for a prolonged time, or everyday. I sometimes use ear-plugs to dumb down sound, for example if it is too high-pitched.
Has your daughter tried ear-defenders or ear plugs?
I am cautious with the amount of time I use them, as I have read that over-use can eventually increase sensitivity to sound, but they work brilliantly in the short term.