My Daughter Is Crying When She Hears Loud Noises.

Does she have other sensory issues? I am a mother of a 4 yr. old, 10 month old, and expecting my third. My first is on the PDD (autism) spectrum (http://www.kennedykrieger.org/kki_diag.jsp?pid=1072). My son has numerous sensory issues and one of them used to be to noise.

It could be the volume of the noises, certainly. My daughter was scared by the sound of ripping paper and also the vacuum cleaner as well (weird, but true). We're over the paper thing, and working on the vacuum. Another possibility is that at a certain age kids start emoting based on what they see. My younger daughter's been doing this a while (she's almost 18 mos) but it seems to me she wasn't yet doing it at 11 mos. Anyway, at some point they start to see what is happening around them emotionally and then they mimic it (but it is really real in their head). I would just check with your pediatrician at her 1-year check-up, but I don't think there's anything to worry about (and may not be too much to do but wait it out).

Good luck!

My daughter is four and still runs when she sees my loudest vacuum cleaner. She has always been sensitive, but especially to loud noises. At church she does not like the boys who play loud, the Fireworks on the 4th of July, the hairdryer, the hand air dryer in any public restroom, or simply anything "too loud". Her father is also sensitive to loud noises, but they are both extremely gifted musically. My daughter loves to sing and hear anything musical and I know God has gifted her with many talents. So, while it is frustrating at times you can look at is as a gift...just wait until your baby sings :).

Hi L.. It is very likely that your daughter has problems with sensory modulation. Children with Sensory Modulation Disorder react to ordinary sensations as though they are dangerous or a threat. Is your daughter very sensitive to the feel of clothing, tastes, or textures of food? I specialize in treating this subtype of Sensory Processing Disorder through parent coaching and psychoacoustically engineered music played in the home. For more information, go to www.sinetwork.org and my web site www.insynctherapy.org.

The earlier this is treated the better. I am happy to do a free phone consultation.

S. Starseed, MHS, LOT
President, In-Sync Therapy

I have three boys, but two of them hated loud noises.
I wish I could say I found an easy fix, but they had to grow out of it :(

It's normal-especially at her age- think about an underdeveloped neurological system (any kid under 2) being bombarded on all sides by smells, sights and sounds at a normal level- some people are more sensitive to noises, smells, textures of clothing- if it affects everything she sees and does and touches, that's another thing entirely. A pediatrician can calm your fears

Play the radio or TV. I have three grown men for sons and it work for them. You could play dvd's, what ever you are into. This is realy telling my age. It also works for my 8 grandchildren.

My son cried whenever he heard a loud noise or someone raised their voice. He still does as a matter of fact. It does get better with time. She's just feeling the negative energy especially when someone is arguing or she's just letting you know she's uncomfortable around loud people. It will get better once she learns that she's a loud person too.

Sometimes it is not a matter of her getting used to loud sounds. She does not like the sound and maybe will never like loud sounds. The only solution is to know that she responds that way and to keep her away from loud sounds so her environment is comfortable to her. I have a son that does not like loud sounds and that is just how he is wired. So I keep him from situations that have loud noises.

Maybe she has an ear infection. Babies ears become extremely irritated when they have an infection and the slightest noise could possibly be an irritant.

Hi L. ~

First off - Kudos to you for staying at home with your daughter and keeping her out of childcare. I respect that alot!

Second - I will never understand people who take their young children to rock concerts or car races. Children have sensitive ears and exposure to these levels of decimals can damage their hearing. Why do we feel we need to expose our children to loud noises?

I think one writer is correct in saying that she just may be more sensitive than most when it comes to sound. I and my daughter are both singers and we are sensitive to loud noise. I try my best to protect my hearing, as well as educate my daughter to do the same. In this world of constant noise, what's wrong with a little bit of quiet once in awhile?

Take her to your pediatrician to make sure she doesn't have any infection. Have it all checked out and if nothing is wrong, simply protect her hearing. Good luck!

When my daughter was a baby she would cry everytime someone would laugh really loud or sing out loud. The best the I found was to just reassure her that she is ok and hold her long enough to help her calm down. She seemed to get worse when she was really tired. My son also has some issues with noise. When he started kindergarden he would climb under the table because he didn't like the noise. He is doing better as he gets older and my daughter has turned into one of the loudest people I know.

my daughter did that and i took her to the doc and she had a prolonged ear infection, she ended up with tubes because she couldnt get rid of the ear infection. i would check with your doc to make sure her ears are clean, it doesnt hurt to be on the safe side!

L.,

I have a daughter that cannot handle loud noises and she freaks out when it happens. We have her wear ear defenders (the big mickey mouse ear type) when we think there will be those loud noises around. My daughter is also autistic and has a hard time talking. Some children actually never grow out of it. I'm one of them. I still to this day cannot stand loud high pitched noises, unless it's the roaring of a B-52 or fighter jet. I'm a military brat, so the planes I was ok with. Hope this helps and if you need anything, let me know.