Promoting health and social interaction for school children with decreased sound tolerance

This project aims to achieve better understanding for the needs of children with decreased sound tolerance in a school setting.

Decreased sound tolerance (DST) is a condition where everyday sounds are perceived as disturbing, painful or unbearably loud by the affected individual. DST occurs in about 8% of the adult Swedish population. It is often related to other conditions such as neuropsychiatric disorders, Williams syndrome, epilepsy, hearing loss, head trauma, stress & anxiety, burn out syndrome and medical side effects.

DST can cause exclusion from work, school and social activities leading to a major impact in quality of life and participation for the affected individuals. Due to poor sound environments and stressful life situations, DST is a growing concern.

A hypothesis is that children with DST might have an increased sensibility for high-frequency noise that may be inaudible for the typical adult listener. Because the hearing sensitivity is different between children and adults, these types of sounds are overlooked in today’s standards used for sound environments in classrooms.

Our aim is to identify children with DST in several schools within Norrbotten region using standardized questionnaires and interviews. We also wish to find out how DST affects the children socially, academically and psychologically and what is done to promote inclusion today. Furthermore, the study aims to look at the different sound environments these children face in their classrooms and the schools’ common spaces. Altogether, the project outcome is to achieve better understanding for the needs of children with DST in a school setting, leading to a presentation of successful strategies for inclusion and contribute to establishing new guidelines and strategies regarding the sound environment aiming for the minimization of exclusion and stress leading to a healthier and more attractive society, which will benefit a broader public as well.

The study uses a mixed method design. To explore the prevalence and effects of DST, questionnaires and interviews will be used. Acoustic measurements will be performed to examine the sound environments in the selected schools. Psychoacoustic and electrophysiological tests will be used to identify and characterize which types of sounds that are especially disturbing to the individuals with DST. The study groups will also undergo audiologic testing to examine the hearing status of the groups.

The study is an interdisciplinary collaboration between engineering acoustics, psychology, machine learning, special education, and occupational therapy. This collaborative platform aims to obtain a holistic view of the problems and solutions of DST.