Sound

We are able to_________ sounds thanks to our auditory system

• Interpret
• Translate
• Integrate
• Respond to

Our brains help us listen, interpret,

and understand what has been

Said/ heard

A Working Auditory System

When your auditory system is working correctly you are able to….

• Respond to sounds naturally

Like looking moving out of the way when you hear “watch out!”

• Follow directions from friends and instructors
• Filter out sounds that are not important

The fan in the background, the sound of the waves, other people playing on the beach

When There Are Problems

A person may be HYPER or HYPO sensitive to sound, affecting their ability to participate in fun activities

HYPERsensitivity may cause a person to become fearful or overwhelmed with sounds that are usually okay for most people

HYPOsensitivity may prohibit a person from registering important auditory cues within their surroundings

Hypersensitive

If someone is hypersensitive they may be frightened by the ______ of common environmental sounds

• Volume
• Pitch
• Unpredictability

They may attempt to avoid and withdraw from noisy, crowded environments

A person with hypersensitivity to sound might look

• Startled
• Appear distracted (focusing on every noise)
• Agitated and ready to flee
• Covering ears

HYPOsensitive

A person who is hyposensitive to sounds might appear

• To not pay attention to surroundings
• To have difficulty following directions
• To require multiple attempts to call their name
• Very noisy in an attempt to satisfy their “sound craving”

They may hum, sing, yell out, constantly talk loudly

What can I do?

Hypersensitivity

• Try to find a place with less noise in your surrounding

Hyposensitivity

• Talk loudly and animated to keep noise at an appropriate level

Patience and understanding will help the relationship between volunteer and participant during these instances

Deaf and Hard of hearing

While some individuals have difficulty processing sounds, there are others who have more severe impairments to their auditory system causing mild to profound hearing loss.

People who are Deaf or hard of hearing may use different languages or forms of communication. Not all Deaf use Sign language as their language and not all people that use American Sign Language know English well.

Many people that are Deaf may read lips or talk. They may also have cochlear implants to aid in hearing. People may have high frequency or low frequency hearing loss. Most consonants are high frequency and vowels are low frequency. High frequency hearing loss sounds like Charlie Brown (you can hear sounds but can make out what people are saying and speech is not clear). Low frequency hearing lost sounds like there is no base and the volume is affected.