Ds seems to have over-sensitive hearing

[chipmunkswhereareyou]

Ds (age 3) complains of any loud noises. Today he had a fit about handdryers being on in a public loo (not uncommon as fears go at this age) an then got completely freaked out when a cockerel crowed behind him at a farm. He says these loud sounds hurt his ears but they really are not that loud.

Is this unusual/ something to be worried about? Will he grow out of it?

OK today was particularly bad but he does seem disproportionately bothered by loud noises (he is a HSC - highly sensitive child - type in a few ways btw).

A friend's DS was like this and it turned out he had glue ear and needed grommets so a visit to GP might be worthwhile.

Second the advice about getting his ears checked but in general terms children have much more acute hearing than adults so can be bothered by noises that are fine to us. And clearly some children will have much more sensitive hearing than the average (very sensitive compared to adults) child.

Ds used to be scared of handryers and say they hurt his ears but has grown out of it now he's five. So you only have two years to go...

lol Edam! It is quite tricky when he needs the loo and is having a freak-out about the handdryers going off. I have been known to sneak in first in smaller loos where I won't be seen and switch them off at the mains in desperation....

Re glue ear - he did have quite muffled pronunciation for a while and I was concerned about this although it's improved and is fine, so this could be a possibility. Will look into getting his ears checked.

DD is nearly 5 and still hates hand dryers. She doesn't like loud noises either. I have seen some of her friends at parties spend the whole time with their hands over their ears because they don't like the noise of the bouncy castle motor or the noise of balloons bursting.

I think it's fairly common, I think I would start worrying if these things still bothered her at 6.

My DD 10was a bit like that. We have been going to the theatre a lot lately, and although she really loves going she gets worried about the noise. All her senses seemed to be quite high. Our optitian says she is very sensitive to light, she loves feeling things.

I nannied a child like this. He was dx with Sensory Sensitivity Disorder, and now at aged 8 does much better. It also meant he couldn't block noises out while at school, so needed help for the first few years. He would be freaked out by a buzzy bee noise, but loved motorcycles and could handle their noises if he he knew they were coming. He could hear noises I would never have noticed, same with smells, touch and taste.

Nanny - just looked that up - it is interesting and although ds has shades of some of the behaviours, it does sound much more extreme than ds.

He does seem to smell anything nearby long before we do and quite often says he can smell something but other than that and freaking out about handdryers and the occasional noise making him jump that's it really. He is quite happy to eat foods with quite strong flavours for example and concentrates very well for his age.

Hope I'm not sounding defensive - not intending too as it did make interesting reading just not at that level of extremity here - or was your charge also just mild with it all?