Addressing Auditory Defensiveness

Auditory defensiveness is an over sensitivity to sounds in the environment.  Children with auditory defensiveness may present with some or all of the following symptoms:

* Seems unsettled or distressed in loud environments
* Frequently cover their ears to sounds that other children tolerate
* Are bothered by noises made by things like the vacuum cleaners, hair dryers, etc.
* Avoids activities that have loud environments such as parties, ballgames, and movies.
* Possible language difficulties

Here are several strategies to help children with auditory processing issues.

* Modify the environment by considering the acoustics
* Changing seating arrangements may be beneficial
* Limit extraneous noise from the hallway by closing the door or windows
* It may be necessary to cover the loud speaker with buffering material
* Having rugs or carpet on the floor will decrease echo and extraneous noises
* Whenever possible, children should be forewarned about bells, announcements, fire drills, etc.
* Have the child wear headphones or earmuffs that that cover the entire ear
* Play calming music such as Mozart in the headphones or as background music
* If concentration is an issue, the child should chew gum, suck on sour candies, and/or eat fruit roll ups, or crunchy snacks.
* Therapeutic Listening® is a program that may help a child with issues such as auditory defensiveness, hypersensitivities, sensory modulation, and general organization issues.
For more information, go to http://www.vitallinks.net/ and click on parent info.

David Castillo Dominici@Freedigitialphotos