Published on 12, July, 2020
I have noticed my six year old seems to be more bothered by noise suddenley. He has always found certain noises troubling but noisy environments he could cope with but now he can’t. Does Sensory Processing worsen or reach its peak at a certain age?
My sensory issues just seem to get worse and worse. I am 40 now. I don't know if that is a typical experience or if it is related to autism or other factors though.
I have noticed that the more stressed/anxious/overwhelmed/over loaded I am, the harder I find it to tolerate sensory input. It is as though if things are relatively "okay" then it is easier to deal with sensory input.. but if I am already feeling under pressure then any sensory input will send me over the edge. So perhaps something else is bothering your son, that is making it harder for him to cope in noisy environments?
For example, I can tolerate noise better on a cool, cloudy day than I can on a hot, bright sunny day. I can tolerate noise better if there are no demands on me and my routine is undisturbed, than I can if there is an expectation for me to do something and if my routine is being disturbed... Also, if I am tired I cannot cope with any noise at all.
So, pay attention to any other factors that may have changed and may be impacting your son, as these will likely also impact his ability to cope with a noisy environment.