Neurodivergent Sound Sensitivity in Sensory Adults
Is all the noise driving you a little bit nuts? You're not alone.
By the end of the post, you will have new resources and insight to add to your toolkit.
Table of Contents
This blog offers educational content; not medical advice. Please, consult a healthcare professional for personal mental health concerns.
Introduction to Neurodivergent Sound Sensitivity
Are you an adult struggling to manage life with super sensitive hearing? I understand.
Neurodivergent people may experience heightened (or lessened) sound sensitivity to a variety of sources.
As a side note, any hyper-sensitive musicians or music teachers, may also particularly benefit from this material.
Common reaction triggers might be loud noises such as fireworks, the shouting of the announcer at a football game, or the trumpet player directly behind you in band.
Other possibilities are specific sounds like a child who is sensory-seeking repeatedly slamming toys together.
There are also eating sounds (chewing, swallowing, slurping) as in misophonia that can be very bothersome.
Still others are distracted or upset by background noise including a refrigerator humming, and of course, background conversations.
Does any of this sound like something you've experienced?
Sensory processing disorder (SPD) affects the way that a person experiences and interact with the world around them via their senses.
Texture/touch, taste, smell, and everyday sounds are some common areas which are affected by either a heightened sensitivity, or a dulled one, to sensory information.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), SPD, ASD are all neurodivergent conditions which are associated with sound sensitivity.
In addition, AuDHD (autism with ADHD) a relatively new term, is impacted, as is auditory processing disorder (APD), and sometimes people with anxiety disorders.
Understanding Sound Sensitivity
What is sound sensitivity?
Sound sensitivity refers to the perceived sense by an individual that the noise they are hearing is extremely loud. (It's possible to have hyposensitivity as well.)
The auditory stimuli can frequently be accompanied by feelings of intense anger, as in the case of misophonia, symptoms of distraction, and feelings of shame.
As the offending sounds are often everyday noises, like a partner drinking water, they can have real consequences on a person's daily life, particularly if left untreated or if living in an emotionally unsafe environment.
You may have heard people discuss the concept of habituation as living near a train track.
At first someone might be bothered by the horn, and then eventually their brain learns to tune it out.
That person can get on with their life and not be overly fixated on the noise.
While that might be true for some scenarios, it is my experience that in general neurodivergent brains do not adapt as quickly or as much to that external stimulus.
When a neurodivergent person is repeatedly exposed to a certain sound, or set of sounds, without the proper accommodations, physical and psychic pain often results.
The physical or emotional responses, and resulting trauma, can then interfere with cognitive processing.
Once as an undergraduate student, I was sitting in a lecture when I became aware of the people behind me who were continuously talking.
I had already tried the brief turn around, the longer “look,” and even directly asked them to stop; and none of it worked.
So not only were my ears hurting, head throbbing, and palms sweating due to the involuntary stress response; but I was missing the course content.
I finally got up and moved seats. I didn't want to disrupt the class, but it was literally impossible for me to focus.
Luckily the professor, when I spoke to them after class about what had happened, was extremely supportive. They supported me and made sure it didn't happen again.
People suffering from a neurodevelopmental disorder may experience heightened auditory sensitivities due to particular brain-related nervous system characteristics.
Sensory information processing and perceived sense of resultant distress is an area that is still developing in the research.
However, anecdotally, I know autistic individuals who report greater emotional upset and increased sensitivity to a triggering sound during times of higher stress, sickness, lack of sleep, or general disruptions to daily routines.
For those of you familiar with Spoon Theory, I would argue that the emotional distress experienced by annoying loud sounds, for example, can be higher during low spoon periods.
(The same is likely true for people who consider themselves to be hyposensitive to sounds, though I only have anecdotal information.)
For neurotypical individuals reading this post, the proverbial “nails on a chalkboard” is an example of a disruptive noise and the intense emotional response that people with sensory processing issues frequently experience in their daily lives.
Though, as noted above, the triggers can be seemingly much more innocuous to the outside observer.
Neurodivergent sound sensitivity can show up in unsuspecting places.
Now that we've gone over some of the basics, let's switch gears and turn to the neurodivergent educator working in a typical school setting.
This could be any educational environment, but for the purposes of this article let's look at the overcrowded public school with many students who are dealing with family-related trauma, emotional dysregulation, and not having basic Maslow Hierarchy of Needs met.
Sound Sensitivity in the Classroom
Most of the information one finds when searching online for managing sensory input in a school setting is about how to best support the students.
This is, of course, important information.
A student with autism may automatically bring a set of headphones with themselves as they go from class to class.
Music teachers may have extra headsets available for autistic children who forget to bring theirs.
Elementary homeroom teachers may have quiet corners or calming tents set up for students to retreat into when overly activated.
There might be squishy balls to squeeze when stressed and posters on the walls about levels of emotional regulation.
These practices are absolutely necessary for the well-being of the students. Yet, what about the educator?
What if the teacher also can't block out extraneous noises from nearby construction projects, or the sounds of a child screaming in the midst of an emotional meltdown in a nearby classroom?
How can they create a supportive environment for themselves, in addition to the students?
How would a neurodivergent teacher who is diagnosed and medicated with an auditory hypersensitivity experience his or her daily life?
Particularly when working with students who are also traumatized and emotionally dysregulated, some of whom may be more prone to shouting matches with classmates?
Accommodations that Work (Some of the Time)
Part of supporting teachers like this is certainly is in the physical structures in place, both of the room itself, or present with any noise-canceling earplugs for example.
Things like installing sound panels or adding carpets can help.
Playing games with students to encourage lower voice levels can be effective.
(For more information, please read “7 Ways to Manage Noise as a Neurodivergent Teacher.”)
Active noise reduction earplugs can help as well.
(For more information, make sure you read the “50 Neurodivergent Adult Workplace Accommodations Checklist.”)
Neurodivergent teachers who work in especially noisy environments may burn out faster than others.
As I describe in my other posts on sound management in a classroom, adding a white noise machine may help you lower the edginess of the sound.
More Resources
- Attention Deficit Disorder Association (ADDA)
- ADHD reWired Podcast
- American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) – (SPD support)
- Autism Speaks
Do you have ADHD, autism, sensory processing disorder, or another form of neurodivergence and work at a school? How do you manage being in a loud classroom or hallway? Please leave a note in the comments.
For more tips on neurodivergent teacher accommodations, read the “Top 10 Essential Neurodivergent Teachers Accommodations” round-up!
