Preschooler with hypersensitive hearing

FarthestEdge · 09-25-2008, 10:00 AM

My son is almost 4. He has always been somewhat ahead in his speaking skills and is articulate and well spoken. So I am not concerned that he is hearing impaired (although he doesn't listen very well, but what 4 year old does

)

However, he has a recurring problem and my doctor just dismissed it offhand. Maybe it's normal, but I wanted some other parents opinions.

He seems to be sensitive to certain frequencies. Not even high or low, but specific frequencies. I can't make sense of it. Some of the noises he is hypersensitive to are:

Gym Whistle at school
Smoke detector
Boat motor (although he LOVES riding in the boat- I just need to cover his ears). Seadoo motor as well.
Power Washer
Whipper Snipper (for cutting grass around fences etc)

But then there are other noises that I would expect to bother him, but don't. Such as:

Vacuum
Loud music (he is always asking for it to be "super-duper loud", a request I deny)
Lawnmower
ATV

The noises he doesn't like, really seems to cause him stress. When we're in the boat together, I have my hands over his ears, and he has his hands on top of mine, gripping tight so I won't let go. But he has no fear of the boat, and always wants to go. Yet he's terrified of the Seadoo...

If we turn on the fan over the stove, it almost brings him to tears as he is afraid the smoke detector is going to go off (he thinks the fan causes, rather than prevents the smoke detector from activating). As a result, for some time, he would go to his room every time I cook (Laugh all you want, it's a family joke- there's a reason I work- I have no business being in a kitchen!)

This doesn't seem to be getting any better or worse with age. But I am concerned because I'm wondering if he has some hearing defect/disorder/disease that is causing this, and there may be treatment available that he is not getting. But I have no idea where to start.

He shows no signs of autism or hearing impairment.

Has anyone else experienced this?

Victoria66 · 09-25-2008, 10:09 AM

Yes, my son is VERY sensitive to noise and he has a sensory disorder. I once took my son to a butterfly conservatory when he was 4 and he started screaming in horror because of the flapping of their wings that he INSISTED he could hear and it caused him such severe distress he almost went into shock. To this day he will not even look at a butterfly.

lostandhurt · 09-25-2008, 10:27 AM

I think it might be unfounded fears more than anything. My son was afraid of the ice cream maker when it was on! The vacum has been around him since he was a newborn, the lawn mower is a fun thing as is the music. It is most likely the lack of control and a startel reflex. Try letting him drive the boat in your lap and work the throttle. Start off at idle in gear and let him push it forward little by little. It will improve with age as he understands the things that cause him to be scared. My son still covers his ears when there is something scary on tv but not his eyes once in a while.
No one likes the sound of a smoke detector so try this. Turn on the fan in the kitchen when he is not in the room and let him come in by himself whenever and see what happens. He may not notice it and after some time he will stop associating your cooking with the smoke detector.
My son eventually learned that the noises didn't mean something bad was going to happen and now he almost never has a problem.

lost

Cognitive_Canine · 09-25-2008, 01:00 PM

Well, from what I see, the ones he is sensitive to are at very high frenquencies. Altough lawn mowers, and vacuums are loud, they aren't piercing like whistles and smoke detectors are.

Also, lawn mowers and vacuums are more common. Maybe he has just gotten used to them.

Children have very sensitive ears, especially to higher pitched noises. There are whistles that store owners used to keep teenagers away. The adults couldn't hear those frequencies.

As he gets older, it'll probably not get to him as much.

**avman** · 09-25-2008, 01:31 PM

Your son may have a type of autistic disorder. My son does and he is also hypersensitive to certain sounds, volume, sensations of touch, and visions.

Now the sounds you are mentioning are kind of loud and obnoxious anyway. So perhaps that is all it is and there is no problem at all. But if this problem really is causing him problems with everyday life then it wouldn't hurt to have him checked out just to make sure nothing else is going on.

09-25-2008, 10:00 AM	#1
FarthestEdge Offline Gold Member Join Date: May 2007 Gender: Female Posts: 835	Preschooler with hypersensitive hearing My son is almost 4. He has always been somewhat ahead in his speaking skills and is articulate and well spoken. So I am not concerned that he is hearing impaired (although he doesn't listen very well, but what 4 year old does) However, he has a recurring problem and my doctor just dismissed it offhand. Maybe it's normal, but I wanted some other parents opinions. He seems to be sensitive to certain frequencies. Not even high or low, but specific frequencies. I can't make sense of it. Some of the noises he is hypersensitive to are: Gym Whistle at school Smoke detector Boat motor (although he LOVES riding in the boat- I just need to cover his ears). Seadoo motor as well. Power Washer Whipper Snipper (for cutting grass around fences etc) But then there are other noises that I would expect to bother him, but don't. Such as: Vacuum Loud music (he is always asking for it to be "super-duper loud", a request I deny) Lawnmower ATV The noises he doesn't like, really seems to cause him stress. When we're in the boat together, I have my hands over his ears, and he has his hands on top of mine, gripping tight so I won't let go. But he has no fear of the boat, and always wants to go. Yet he's terrified of the Seadoo... If we turn on the fan over the stove, it almost brings him to tears as he is afraid the smoke detector is going to go off (he thinks the fan causes, rather than prevents the smoke detector from activating). As a result, for some time, he would go to his room every time I cook (Laugh all you want, it's a family joke- there's a reason I work- I have no business being in a kitchen!) This doesn't seem to be getting any better or worse with age. But I am concerned because I'm wondering if he has some hearing defect/disorder/disease that is causing this, and there may be treatment available that he is not getting. But I have no idea where to start. He shows no signs of autism or hearing impairment. Has anyone else experienced this?

09-25-2008, 10:09 AM	#2
Victoria66 Offline Platinum Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: for now where the CF sends us Gender: Female Age: 43 Posts: 4,603	Yes, my son is VERY sensitive to noise and he has a sensory disorder. I once took my son to a butterfly conservatory when he was 4 and he started screaming in horror because of the flapping of their wings that he INSISTED he could hear and it caused him such severe distress he almost went into shock. To this day he will not even look at a butterfly. __________________ ADHD= Attention Dialed into a Higher Dimension. For my Indigo son. Know how to suffer and how to laugh. Mother Teresa If you judge people you have no time to love them. Mother Teresa Run amok empath= the end of little miss nice girl. Tomorrow IS another day. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EM7FaOc3Zk What Child Is This. Last edited by Victoria66; 09-25-2008 at 10:21 AM.

09-25-2008, 10:27 AM	#3
lostandhurt Offline Platinum Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: California Gender: Male Age: 45 Posts: 2,150	I think it might be unfounded fears more than anything. My son was afraid of the ice cream maker when it was on! The vacum has been around him since he was a newborn, the lawn mower is a fun thing as is the music. It is most likely the lack of control and a startel reflex. Try letting him drive the boat in your lap and work the throttle. Start off at idle in gear and let him push it forward little by little. It will improve with age as he understands the things that cause him to be scared. My son still covers his ears when there is something scary on tv but not his eyes once in a while. No one likes the sound of a smoke detector so try this. Turn on the fan in the kitchen when he is not in the room and let him come in by himself whenever and see what happens. He may not notice it and after some time he will stop associating your cooking with the smoke detector. My son eventually learned that the noises didn't mean something bad was going to happen and now he almost never has a problem. lost __________________ Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; Courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time; Enjoying one moment at a time; Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace and happiness; Trusting that I may be reasonably happy in this life and forever.

09-25-2008, 01:31 PM	#5
avman Offline Administrator Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Minnesota Gender: Male Age: 42 Posts: 6,526	Your son may have a type of autistic disorder. My son does and he is also hypersensitive to certain sounds, volume, sensations of touch, and visions. Now the sounds you are mentioning are kind of loud and obnoxious anyway. So perhaps that is all it is and there is no problem at all. But if this problem really is causing him problems with everyday life then it wouldn't hurt to have him checked out just to make sure nothing else is going on. __________________ "Children are a wonderful gift . . . They have an extraordinary capacity to see into the heart of things and to expose sham and humbug for what they are." Desmond Tutu

09-25-2008, 01:00 PM	#4
Cognitive_Canine Online Platinum Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Somewhere over the rainbow Gender: Female Posts: 11,326	Well, from what I see, the ones he is sensitive to are at very high frenquencies. Altough lawn mowers, and vacuums are loud, they aren't piercing like whistles and smoke detectors are. Also, lawn mowers and vacuums are more common. Maybe he has just gotten used to them. Children have very sensitive ears, especially to higher pitched noises. There are whistles that store owners used to keep teenagers away. The adults couldn't hear those frequencies. As he gets older, it'll probably not get to him as much.