Headphones can do more than just provide a fun and convenient way to listen to music. In the world of Autism Spectrum Disorders, and even for those who have certain sensitivities to noises and sounds, headphones can be a necessity to coping with the world around them. In fact, noise reduction headphones allow some children with Autism to thrive in crowded rooms or the mall.
Children, and even adults with Autism, process sounds differently than others. For instance, in a crowded supermarket, those with Autism lack the ability to focus on the song playing overhead that would drown out other voices. Instead, the noise of every conversation becomes overwhelming and irritating often resulting in frustration, stress and anxiety.
Headphones can help keep the user calm and some can even reduce noise levels to about 25 decibels. However, this does not mean that the user can no longer hear anything going on around them, the noise is simply reduced to a level that is more manageable. Many headphones simply cancel out noise that is low in frequency because it helps to reduce background noise.
There are many headphones available to the public that range in size, price and capabilities. The following is a list of headphones that can help keep a user with Autism calm and anxiety free in crowded or overwhelming situations.
Peltor 97070 Junior Earmuff: Produced by one of the leading manufacturers of hearing conservation earmuffs, these Peltor Junior Earmuffs come in various models and colors for users to choose from.
Kids Noise-Reduction Earmuffs: Designed for children, these earmuffs by Banz come in tons of cool colors and they even offer protection for your eyes in the form of really cool shades, perfect for children and little ones because of the straps they employ.
Baby Banz Hearing Protector Earmuffs: For the littlest of users, these earmuffs come in colors, like Camo Pink, that only make you want to protect your hearing even more!
For more information about other kinds of earmuffs, check out this blog from our friends at the “Friendship Circle Blog.”
While the noise canceling earmuffs are harmless, using them too much or when not absolutely needed may start to make the user dependent on the earmuffs and make them less effective. Make sure to encourage the child to take off the earmuffs when they are in calmer environments, such as home, in order for them to develop an idea of how to distinguish when and when not to use them. For more information about noise reducing earmuffs and when to use the, visit the Autism Headphones website.