Fascinating, Brett. Of course, I’ve heard of sensory overload, and a friend’s daughter has issues with over- stimulation through touch, light, and sound. But, I haven’t heard or read that some can’t filter what they hear, allowing concentration on only the important sounds and conversations.

With the over-60 aging process, I’ve noticed a decreased ability to accurately hear conversation in the midst of ambient noise, which is also a problem with TV shows and movies. But, that is quite different than what you described.

I can only imagine how frustrating and overwhelming it is for you to be in such situations.

My friend’s daughter couldn’t eat in her school’s lunchroom or sit through a school assembly or pep rally, or watch or participate in any team sports.

I always believed it had to do with being overwhelmed with sensory stimulation, but now I see it can be more complicated than that.