2 Year Old Very Sensitive to Noise

I would take him to an Occupational Therapist for an evaluation. If he does have sensory issues (and he really may not) the earlier it is diagnosed (and treated) the better.

My daughter is older now but I started to notice when my daughter was about 4 she was very sensitive to loud noises. They still bother her. I have been to therapist have ruled out a lot of things but I did recieve great advise from a Phycartrist (who was a peditrian) Everyone is different and kids, adults whoever can tolerate certain things. He is no longer a peditrian because he could not take the noise and crazy pediactric office. He told me to buy her an Ipod for the Car(We have a very loud car 4 kids).

I would make sure that there is nothing medically wrong but dont make yourself crazy about it my daughter is now 12 and she is doing great.. Good Luck

C.
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Hi P., It is probably not a phase. Listen to your pediatrician, and see how it goes for a week or two. My son has a sensory integration disorder, and if your chlid does too, professional help is available. In the meantime, you can try introducing him to noisy environments by getting him there before everyone else arrives. This way, the noise level increases gradually, and he has time to adjust to it. I found this to be very effective for my son, along with early intervention techniques. Sometimes, you just have to avoid places that he can't tolerate, or remove him for awhile and then try again later. Best of luck to you. Ginnie

Your son may very well have a sensory integration issue. You need to have him assessed. Ask your pediatrician for a recommendation. The sooner you gain an understanding of his issue and how to work with it the better. Don't worry he'll turn out just fine, once you and your husband educate yourselves and learn how to help your son deal with his sensitivities you will all feel much better. Don't wait, the most important time to address these issues is in early childhood, you need to understand what is going on to best help your child. As someone who has worked in the social service field for over 20 years I can assure you that early intervention is critical to your child's continued healthy development later on. Who knows you may find it is a simple issue with a simple solution, but don't let your son suffer needlessly, seek professional advice.
Childhood development specialists want nothing more than to reduce a child's distress and help children deal with and work through their particular issues, the parents understanding, love, patience, and follow-through being critical to the process.
Best Wishes,
N.

My daughter was the same way at 2-3 years old. Everytime there was a loud noise(screaming, talking, other kids, etc...) she would cover her ears. Not cling to me just cover her ears. I just thought it was normal and never asked for advice. Especially when she went to Disney World for the first time at 3 years old any time during a show and/or ride with loud noise she would cover her ears. She is 5 1/2 now and does not do that at all. When we went back to Disney World the following year she was fine with the noise and no ear covering.

I just read a great book about this- I'm a preschool teacher- called "the out-of-sync child" by Carol Stock Kranowitz. I highly recommend it- it will give you insight as to what is going on. I do recommend seeing a occupational therapist after.. It doesn't sound like your son has a huge problem so might be able to meet with a therapist just a few times. The kids I know who see therapist have benefitted greatly. The one I met run an office in hoboken called wee care.

Hi P.,
It does sound like your son may have some sensory processing difficulty around noise. There are actually many different kinds of sensory processing disorders--some related to noise, touch, lights/visual stimulation, kinesthetic problems, etc. And some children are sensory "defensive", meaning they have a very low threshold for those types of stimuli before "wigging out" (sounds like your son), and others are sensory "seeking", meaning they have a very high threshold and may engage in behaviors very annoying to others (like being constant motion or noise-making machines, touching others too roughly, etc.). Either way, these children are often perceived as having character/willfulness problems, when really they are struggling to manage overwhelming (or underwhelming) sensory information in the brain. Your son is over 2 so he can be evaluated for sensory integration/sensory processing problems. The best referral is to an occupational therapist with specific experience with sensory integration dysfunction. In most cases this is not "just a phase" and help is available via therapy and sensitive parenting to help both accommodate your child's needs and to help your child improve his tolerance of that kind of stimuli. I am a family therapist and have personally worked with many children whose behavior was perceived as willful/obstinate, or clingy/insecure, and when sensory issues were dealt with, the "problem" behaivor disappeared, became manageable, or was no longer a "problem" because family members could perceive and respond to it differently. Your son is lucky to have such a perceptive and responsive mother. You should definitely pursue an evaluation.
Here are some good resources to learn more about sensory processing:
* Sensory Processing Disorder Network: www.spdnetwork.org
* The Out-of-Synch Child: Recognizing and Coping with Sensory Ingtegration Dysfunction, by Carol Stock Kranowitz
* The Sensory-Sensitive Child: Practical Solutions for Out-of-Bounds Behavior by Karen A Smith & Karen R. Gouze

Good luck!
K.

Hi P.,

I have a son 2 yrs and 9 months who is also very sensitive to sound. I have noticed this for a long time. He is aware of every little sound. Loud noises scare him, he hated the sound of the fan or air conditioner and insisted they be turned off. He did adapt to that thank goodness. Over time I have noticed that he has become more curious than scared unless the noise is quite loud, in which case he is still scared (fireworks, vaccume cleaner, loud noises at a puppet show). Much of the fear has changed to an exhausting level of curiosity. I am currently reading Raising Your Spirited Child, and have recognized my son all over the descriptions of these kids. It is different from kids with sensory integration dysfunction. You should find out more about both, so you can be an advocate if early intervention is necessary, or to avoid a misdiagnosis. You may simple have a spirited/sensitive child on your hands and this is a temperament, not a diagnosis.

Also, here is a nice website with info and support for parents of these children. Within it there are books lists too.

http://www.nurturingourfamilies.com/spirited/index.html

Most of all, don't worry, just learn more so you can understand your little one.

All the best,
C.

I am experiencing the same issue with my 2 yr old daughter. i am at a loss i had here ears checked and they're perfect her doc said that he had a couple of other patients with this issue and he would do some research. in the meantime i am going to do a little research myself.

My now 12 year old son had the same issues. After alot of testing, it was determined that he had Sensory Integration (SI) Dysfunction. Occupational Therapy with a specialist in SI, makes a great deal of difference.

My reccommendation is not to wait. Get him evaluated soon, SI issues untreated can lead to anxiety and behavioral issues, and when he gets to school age, teachers may confuse it with ADHD.

Good luck.

Hi! I have an 11 year old daughter who, when she was that age, would respond to loud noises VERY adversely. She had extremely sensitive hearing. So sensitive, that she would double over with pain, holding her stomach when she would hear a motorcycle etc. She had some sensory integration issues that was helped by 2 things, Occupational therapy and her own maturation. Once she was more verbal, I could joke with her about those loud noises (the motorcycle is boom-booming, etc) and give her some tools to help her deal with the discomfort she was feeling. I couldn't protect her from sound, all I could do was help her learn how to deal with it. Its become my parenting style ever since. Good luck

My son who turned 3 in November is also the same way. Loud noises and environments bother him. He puts his hands over his ears and says Too Loud!!! or will just cling to me. I spoke to my doctor and she said its just a preference that he has and not to worry about it. Easier said than done since it can be annoying. I try to control the noise volume as much as possible, but when put into a situation where I can't like the park I let him stay with me until he is relaxed again or I get into the situation myself and play with him. This seems to calm him down and he is relaxed enough to not notice or at least get used to the noise level and enjoy himself. My son is shy so I have to coax him out of his shyness by reassuring him that I'm not going anywhere and he's safe with me. I thought it would be a phase and he would grow out of it but we're going on 2 yrs with his noise sensitivity. I'm hoping he'll grow out of it but if not I'm here to make sure he can cope.

Hi I am a Special Education preschool teacher. I would have your son tested through the Dept of Health for sensory concerns. This will tell you if there is a sensory concern and is so therapy is covered free under the IDEA and he can receive Occupational Therapy to give him coping skills to desensitize sounds.

Good Luck

My child was the same way! We told our pediatrician who recommended an Occupational Therapist who did all sorts of Listening Therapy to help him regulate sounds. He also had other sensitivities (touch, smell...) and now has outgrown all of them (he is 6).

Good Luck

I have a lot of experience with "Sensory Intergration" My son has a pretty extreme case not just with noises but with certain stimulations such as smells, touch (all 5 senses generally) Sometimes noise can be just a phase however I would get a list from your ped on what to watch for. Sensory intergration is very common with Premeies too. My son was 4 weeks early. If you would like to talk more please let me know early intervention is key. So the best advise i can give is to read and familiarize yourself as much as possible.

my daughter kinda does that. she doesn't always cling, if it's a group of people, or loud people she does cling, and sometimes cry (especially when they're loud, and want to take her...like the in-laws), but when it's a noise that's loud, she jumps and either just gets startled, but runs and hides behind the chair, or clings to the couch, crouches behind something...more of a startle. i was never really worried about it, she's been doing it since she was about 15 months old and still does it. i think it's just a stage, but it could also be nerves (i'm very jumpy, and so is my MIL, so she could be getting is through both sides) there's possibility that it may be a nerves thing...he may just be a jumpy kid, hopefully they will grow out of it, but you could always double check with another dr. on their feelings.

My son is 2 years old and has asperger's syndrome, which is a mild and high functioning form of autism. He also has sensory processing disorder. Kids with sensory processing disorder dont always have autism. Because of him having sensorp processing disorder, he is very sensitive to loud sounds. He does not process things through his senses the way normal people do. He is in occupational therapy to help him find ways to cope better. I recommend you look at this website, or read the book "The Out Of Sync child". These sources explain spd very well. It will help you and your child to understand him and how to help him cope.

www.sensory-processing-disorder.com