Audio Sensory Integration

Sensory integration refers to the brain’s ability to process sensory input from multiple sensory modalities, the five senses (sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste), vestibular sense (balance and movement) and proprioception (knowing one’s position in space). Since the different senses use electrical signals unique to them, it is the brain’s function to relate all sensory input into a coherent percept, which allows appropriate interaction with the environment.

The auditory (hearing) sense receives input from the hearing receptors located in the structures of the ear, and activated by vibrations produced by sound. They process sound so that speech, music, or noise can be distinguished and interpreted by the brain.

A child may be hypersensitive to sounds (auditory defensiveness). The child may:

– become started or distracted by loud or sudden sounds and respond by covering ears, crying and/or running away

– be distracted by sounds such as, humming of lights or refrigerators, fans, heaters, clocks ticking and environmental sounds and/or fearful of sounds such as barking dogs, vacuum cleaners, flushing toilets (especially in public bathrooms), vacuum, hairdryer, and/or often asks people to be quiet

– not like parades, skating rinks or  movie theaters

A child may be hyposensitive to sounds (under-registers). The child may:

– not have vocalized or babbled much as a baby

– appear to be aware of certain sounds and/or confused about where a sound is located

– play music or TV excessively loud and makes noise just to hear the noise

– not respond to verbal cues such as name being called and/or have a difficult time understanding or recalling what is heard, making it necessary to repeat directions

– loudly talk through a task

Sensory integration continued next week.