Sensitive Ears?

I would definitely look into it. I had a friend who had a daughter who went into therapy for her sensory issues and she is doing great now! I have always felt that it wouldn't hurt to at least ask the question. Good luck to you!

My oldest is in the gifted & talented range of kiddos & is auditorily sensitive, too. She is also some what gifted in that area as well (plays piano by ear). She did/ does things similar to your daughter. Louder things are just not comfortable to her...unless it is HER being loud!

I'm the same way. I get overwhelmed w/ auditory input very easily-kind of puts my system on overload & gets me very agitated. Could just be an area of sensitivity for her.

I'd check out w/ your pedi & be sure to give any & all pertinent info. The poster that mentioned allergies- could be! when your ears are stopped up, everything can seem magnified.

Good luck!
D.

There is something called, "Sensory Overload". My son has it, but he has Asperger's Autism. You daughter may have sensory overload without having autism, so don't panic.

However, I would get her evaluated so that you can figure out what you can do to help her. The Early Learning Center in Carrolton does free evaluations for learning disabilities. Even if she doesn't appear to have a learning issue, I'd call them and explain the issue to them and let them decide.

Sensory overload on it's own can cause learning delays... if your daughter is too distracted by noises, like air-conditioning, other kids tapping pencils, etc then she might not be paying attention to the lesson.

We used earplugs for my son at lunch in the cafeteria, at church because of the music, loud restaurants, etc. It really helped.

Sensory overload is relatively common in Asperger's kids, I have know idea how common or uncommon it is in non-Aspie's.

Asperger's is mostly found in boys, by the way, though some girls have it and it has nothing to do with intelligence and they don't really appear very different than non-aspie kids.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sensory_overload

It couldn't hurt to get her ears checked out. Especially for when she starts school. Schools require doctors notes to make accomadation for the child. And if you are uncomfortable with putting ear plugs in her ears you could always try the ear covers that are used when doing target practice, they will help reduce the noise.

T. - My middle child, Shannon, was very sensitive to noise as a small child. When she was in kindergarten, she had trouble concentrating with all the noise that a kindergarten class makes. In first grade, the speech teacher lent Shannon a set of head phones that she used for hearing tests. Shannon used the head phones in class in order to concentrate on her work. It worked like a charm. She also had a very loud speaking voice. Of course, my husband insisted that she might have a hearing problem. She always tested negative for any hearing loss. She just has a big voice. Be sure to tell your child's new teacher about her sensitivity to noise. Shannon would sometimes cry after leaving school because she didn't like the noise. Once her teacher knew about the problem, she was able to help Shannon out in the really loud situations. And the next year, with head phones, was really good. By the end of the year, she really didn't need them anymore. She just used them when she was studying in class. Even movies, with the really loud Dolby systems, could be a problem when she was small. Now, she's the one playing her music really loudly. Keep the ear plugs in your purse, for emergencies. Think about her at quiet times. Do you think that there are times when she can't hear things; or is it just the loud noise that bothers her? Her ear canal may be wider than your other kids. That would allow more sound into her head than she likes. She will grow into them. Hope this helps.

I was senstive to sound when I was young. Example a Wrist Watch ticking at the foot of my bed was annoying. (If I remember right). Clothing labels, seams in clothing and more. Loud sounds can be a version of HyperAccusis which means when ears do have problems sound may sound much louder than they normally would. Try putting on a 30 decibal headphone for 20 mins and then take them off with the TV and Radio on and see how much louder than normal the sounds are then. You should definitely look into allergies, but ALSO, Aspergers which is High Functioning end of the ASD (Spectrum version of Autism) in its new labelling. Our girl was not recongized with a shade of Aspergers till the beginning of 4th Grade. Kids with Autism are helped ideally in pre-school! But kids with high IQs but certain deficits need support and help too!

Hi, T.. Without becoming overly concerned, I would definitely mention this to your pediatrician. It is possible that your daughter may just be overly sensitive to sound, however a severe sensitivity to sound can be a symptom of other developmental issues. I am definitely not an expert on this by any means, however have had students with sound sensitivities as a symptom of another issue. Again, I don't think you should worry too much, but don't just overlook it either. You're a great mom, and good luck!

Some children can be more sensitive to noise than others. I wouldn't worry too much about it. I would mention it next time you see your doctor.

Using ear plugs are an easy way to decrease sound in really noisy places, like movies.

I would have her checked for allergies. I suffered for years with sensitive hearing, and as I mentioned in another post, even my dog eating sounded like he was dining on my ear drums! lol My doctor recommended allergy testing, because I was also suffering from chronic sinus problems. I tested positive for several allergens and am now taking allergy injections, which have CURED- yes, CURED...lol- my sensitive hearing. It is WONDERFUL to enjoy each day without hearing my dog breathing or eating. lol

Best wishes, dear!