Noise cancelling headphones can I refuse them

[Grk]

What's your view on noise cancelling headphones do you think they do good or bad for the child?

I've been approached by my childs teacher saying he seems to find it harder the last few weeks with the noise level in the classroom his not diagnosed autistic but is diagnosed adhd.(Possibly could be autistic also )
We've already been through this with the school in a previous year , both me and his dad didn't want to give him noise cancelling headphones for a few reasons I do believe they make him massively stand out amongst his fellow peers and also his not then getting acquainted to general levels of daily noise in life and will rely on these for the easier option.

Today however his teacher approached me saying about it again and how he knows he doesn't want us to use them but have we considered ear loops also basically an in ear headphone. I said I'd speak to his dad
Upon speaking to his dad his also still dead against it again mainly because it doesn't allow our son to get used to basic every day noise which is what we all have to live with in life . Our son is perfectly fine in the huge loud hall at lunch time so is he with daily general noises out and about on the roads. He can manage supermarkets all fine no issues. It's just the classroom with the children chatting that disturbs and frustates him mainly whilst his trying to do his work so he tells us.

I know it sounds selfish but I have to agree I don't really want him using any type of headphones and do believe he needs to adjust to noise . However because I work at the school I also see him out of the classroom so I do understand their view on this but it makes me feel super awkward if yet again I refuse to allow the teacher to put them
on him.

Try loops instead. They are discreet and you can choose the level of noise cancellation

Something to consider is that the use of noise cancelling headphones is believed to cause tinnitus in some people. The brain cannot cope with silence and malfunctions. I would not be keen to use them with young children. More basic headphones that merely muffle the noise might not carry the same risk.

This study involved 6 children and was funded by Bose.

Please let your child have the headphones, I am currently having an absolute melt down because I left it too long to put on my headphones, (next doors kids), just being kids but the noise gives me the fucking rage due to misophonia and asd, be thankful he is being given this concession, I wasn't fifty years ago at school, because they likely didn't understand what was going on, I just became incredibly dysregulated to the point of nosebleeds and vomiting.
The other kids might notice at first but as others have said it's no different to glasses or a hearing aid they'll just ignore after a while.

Spot on!

I don't think most adults would enjoy working in a room full of noisy children! It's odd that we expect children to be fine with it.

I was more referring to the information in the intro, on the condition and how it impacts the person, the nervous system etc and some of the science behind how we process auditory information. So the OP can have a better understanding and has better references than she has quotes.

It includes useful information on differing opinions from other research, and has used over 50 other research articles on the same subject to inform the information it provides.

It also has a funding statement - saying Bose provided a small grant and supplied small equipment for the study, but were not involved in the design, analysis, interpretation or writing of the article or the results.

Does also describe the limitations which includes a small study number of that particular study, but I linked it for the background information mainly.

Give the headphones
See if they help
Why would you not?

If your son is struggling in the classroom because he can't focus give him ear loops. My son had ear defenders at that age as he is autistic and needed them to focus. As he got older and the classroom naturally got quieter because all the kids matured he used them less and less. He is 13 now and has ear loops but rarely uses them despite being in z huge busy secondary school.

I was concerned that they would cause more harm than long term because he needed to learn to manage some noise so he only used them in school and in theaters etc.

Well, because it’s possible that any intervention can have negative side effects and the op wants to make sure she’s making the right decision.

As I said above, noise cancelling headphones have been linked to tinnitus, a distressing and incurable condition.

He has hypersensitivity to noise stimuli which is an ND trait. Left unsupported this could develop into misophonia.

support your son and get him the damn loops

The only view that needs consideration is your son’s.

He’s told you he is struggling yet you are finding reasons not to help.

You really need to accept his neurodiversity and ensure he knows his own parents will always put him first, help and support him.

He’s not miraculously going to ‘get used to it’ or wake up neurotypical one day, but his struggles can be helped massively.

Incidentally, I’ve lost count of the number of adults at work who use both the noise cancelling headphones, as well as Loop ones. They’re becoming increasingly common.

As an adult with autism and ADHD I need noise cancelling headphones. The teacher is advocating for your child because they can see they are struggling. Please please listen.
Your child will.never be "normal", you need to help them adapt where they are. Stop thinking of how it makes YOU feel.

This article is not about neurodivergent children and ability to pay attention in class or getting frustrated over noise levels. This is aimed at children who have severe reactions to noises, for example, the Hoover being turned on, so using this as a guide for your child is not the answer.
Yes, it is good that people can look up articles and we can find information. But it's really harmful if you're not able to understand whether what you're reading is actually relevant to the situation at hand. You're causing more harm by reading this and assuming that it is relevant to your child.

There’s no getting use to the noise if you are nd.

That's not true - my DS has ADHD and some sensitivity to noise but it's better when he's used to it and when he can control it.
He doesn't like ear defenders at all (I'm with him on that, they are really uncomfortable) and won't try in ear things (and I'm not sure they are good for children's ears to wear them all the time, they irritate my ears and I'm an adult).
He will wear Beats over ear headphones though (and they look less like you are a builder).
I do sort of know what you mean @Grk about not wanting him to stand out, but I feel there's other options that are less of a label.

Hyperacusis is the exact same thing as sensitivity to noise in neurodiverse conditions. Some DCs without autism can have it but it's much more common in ASD.

Very very odd if you.
he doesn’t need to get used to a busy classroom of noisy kids, that’s not actually life beyond school. Why are you making things hard for him?

Bluntly, if your son is finding that he easily gets distracted in the classroom and can't concentrate then he isn't "getting on with life" he is massively struggling to do what's expected of him five days a week because you are refusing to give him what he needs. Just get him the headphones.

My DS isn't in a noisy classroom as he's in a class of 5.
He still needs SOME practice with noisy spaces because they are actually quite common elsewhere.
I am not against blocking out some noise but it's silly to think you can go through child or adult life and avoid it in all circumstances.

Both my children developed sensory issues. Both have Flare ear buds which help with certain noises, DD has powerful Apple noise cancelling headphones. Without them they becomes too over stimulated, distressed and self harm often ensues .... please don't just thick they'll get used to it, they likely won't as inside they're hypersensitive

This.

Would you not let him use glasses in the classroom if he didn't seem to need them in the playground and dining hall?

In the classroom he has to take in, process, and output different information than he does elsewhere. The classroom noise interferes with this. The classroom noise interferes with his academic learning, it is having an adverse effect. He is not acclimatising to it, it is adding to his stress.

Let him try the ear defenders. They are commonplace in schools now.

As to being dependent upon them - so what?

The ignorance and selfishness is strong with this one.

I spent my entire career teaching children with ADHD/ASD and other neurological and learning issues, and have had much training in this area.

I could give you a whole TED talk on why you're being unreasonable and how your interpretation of that link is entirely mistaken. But you've been lectured enough on this thread @Grk .

What I will suggest is that you step back a bit and allow a trial period, or a trial of the headphones in the lessons he finds hardest, noise-wise. You've really nothing to lose in at least seeing what effect it has on his work and his wellbeing.

When I see threads like this I often think that teachers/ parents/ others who behave like this to autistic/ ADHD people should be made to sit in a room all day with people shouting and screaming through loudspeakers all day long, everyone speaking to each other at all being required to use one. There should also be noises like nails scratching down blackboards, buzzing and whirring sounds played throughout the day through speakers.

There should also be various spotlights positioned around the room at awkward angles to shine directly into their eyes no matter where they look. These lights must flicker constantly like strobe lighting.

The temperature should be turned down to -5 but they shouldn’t be allowed to wear a coat, and they should be forced to wear socks filled with sand inside their shoes and clothes lined with sandpaper.

The walls should be covered in psychedelic patterns in neon colours to make them feel sick, and various disgusting smells should be pumped into the room all day like strong odours of B.O. and farts.

Everyone should be required to wear a mask covering their whole face at all times as well so that nobody can read each other’s facial expressions to help them understand what they are trying to communicate over the background noise.

Should they find this unpleasant at any point and ask to have a break from the environment for a few minutes they should be told to stop being so entitled and thinking they are special, quit whinging and just get on with it. Surely, after all, they can just turn down the sensitivity levels of their eyes and ears and sense of smell and nerve endings on demand to suit the environment? Who do they think they are, being so demanding and precious?

Then, at the end of the day they can feed back how they think it went, and it should be announced at that point that they’ll be doing the same for the next four days running. Oh, and next week, and the week after that, and….