No Richard Thrice, Children Wearing Ear Defenders Is Not ‘Insane’
UK politician Richard Thrice, the deputy leader of the Reform UK party, stated at a press conference in November 2025 that the sight of children wearing ear defenders in classrooms was ‘insane’ and said it ‘has got to stop’. Which is quite frankly a disgusting comment to make.
I was one of those kids overwhelmed by noise in class, to the point I struggled to stay in lessons. Now I work in the NHS and wear noise cancelling earphones (Loop Earplugs) in the office and it has never once been a problem. The problem is with those who refuse people the accommodations they need. Neurodivergent kids deserve access to aids which help them.
I cannot describe the sheer overwhelm of being surrounded by 30 children in a classroom. The different noises all merging together, the unpredictability of it, the way I couldn’t filter out the small sounds that others could. I felt anxious constantly and had daily panic attacks at secondary school and even ran away from school on occasion triggered by sound sensitivity and overwhelm.
Noise can be distressing and overwhelming. Research suggests that between 65% to 90% of autistic people are sensitive to sound. Other people may be sensitive to sound for different reasons such as experiencing trauma, misophonia, ADHD, tinnitus, head or ear injuries, migraines or even from being on certain medications. For autistic people, sensitivity to sound can be because our brains process sensory information differently and struggle to filter out background noise. Normal sounds can be loud, intense and even painful.
Noise cancelling headphones are one simple tool that can help individuals cope when otherwise they may be unable to. Or, even if they can cope without it, may still provide benefits such as reduced stress and overload and improved focus.
There is nothing wrong with needing, or benefitting from, aids such as noise cancelling headphones. And absolutely nothing ‘insane’ about children using them in classrooms. Why on earth not, if it helps them?
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