Why do people who work with autism spectrum disorder call silent disco the ultimate party solution?
Every year, we do a silent disco party for the American Special Hockey Association (ASHA) which supports over 90 special hockey teams across the United States.
Hundreds of people from all walks of life attend; the players, family members, friends and coaches.
Every year we marvel at how silent disco brings such a diverse group together, and it does so in a way that a DJ or band with traditional loudspeakers never could.
Often people who have not experienced the wonders of silent disco headphones assume that headphones isolate dancers from each other. They do the opposite with any audience.
The headphone aspect of silent discos actually make the events more social.
With the special-needs community, the headphones bring people together in an extra dramatic fashion that simply cannot be beat by any other form of entertainment!
How do the headphones create this magic of togetherness and celebration?
In this post, we take a closer look at how the unique attributes of a headphone party are tailor-made for this demographic.
We will start be saying that our headphones are thoroughly disinfected between rentals.
In the age of Covid-19, we use EPA approved disinfectant products and techniques to keep all of our guests safe.
And now, back to headphone benefits:
Headphones accommodate for hearing sensitivities that can be found in autistic guests and others.
In the special needs community, hearing sensitivity is common. They may love the music but feel uncomfortable with the volume levels found at a large party.
If one group wants the music loud and another group doesn’t, it is difficult to party together.
With silent disco, everyone wears headphones in order to hear the music.
Each of the headphones have their own volume wheel that each user can adjust at will.
Thanks to the volume adjustment, people that want the music loud can dance right next to the people that want the music soft. Everyone has their own volume.
The headphones also keep the volume constant. They block out the sudden and uncomfortable volume changes that come from celebrating crowds at parties.
All of the guests at a silent disco are more comfortable and relaxed because any hearing sensitivities are soothed by the individual volume controls on each of the headphones.
The end result is that the headphones allow everyone to participate more comfortably with their own customized volume level.
The headphones help ADHD sufferers to focus by blocking out external audio distractions.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms are common in the special needs community and the headphones help these guests to maintain their focus.
Silent disco headphones block out distracting noises, keep the music in the forefront and the volume constant.
This helps to keep everybody together and focused on the same celebration. Without the headphones, some of the participants would get distracted and not be able have as much fun together.
Again, the headphones allow everyone to participate and to be together in ways that would simply not happen with loud music blasting from traditional loudspeakers.
Ultra adjustable headbands on our fully disinfected headphones accommodate all head sizes.
Heads come in all shapes and sizes in any group, but this can be extra important with this demographic and broad age range.
Silent disco headphones are highly adjustable so they fit just right and won’t fall off during dancing.
In every party, we get some dancers that really get into the music. This is especially true with our special-needs guests. Some of them have dance moves that just won’t quit!
Even if the headphones stay on with extra vigorous dancing, if they are too tight, that is just as bad.
The ear pads are very soft and comfortable so they don’t feel too tight even after an extended amount of wearing time.
The importance of everyone feeling included cannot be overstated. It is the headphones make it happen.
The ability to switch channels enhances the feeling of control for the autistic guest.
We use three-channel versions of the headphones which allow party guests to choose between three different songs at any giving time.
Everyone likes to have a sense of control over their environment and the special-needs community is no exception.
So they not only have the ability to control their volume, but they also have the ability to control which song they are listening to with just the flick of a switch on the headphones.
This control over what is happening inside their headphones makes the guests more comfortable, more confident, and in turn, more able to party together with the whole group.
The headphones give the feeling of inclusiveness and individual comfort at the same time.
In other words, the headphone wearing party guest has the best of both worlds.
As an individual, the headphones make them feel safe and in control of their environment.
As a member of the group, the headphones help them to feel more included and therefore, able to participate more fully within the group.
In summary, how do the headphones create this magic of togetherness and celebration for the special-needs community?
Every guest feels more comfortable, more in control and more included. From there it is is so much easier for them to celebrate and have fun together.