FWIW, we tested my DD for CAPD for similar issues (in particular, she spaced out/got distracted in noisy places, hated loud sounds, had trouble hearing directions in crowds, had been labeled a daydreamer, and sometimes struggled with multi-part directions) and she aced the test--passed it with flying colors. So whatever her issues are (may be ASD, anxiety, or ADHD), it looked to us like CAPD at the time, but was not. She was tested at a highly regarded university clinic that does many of these assessments. FWIW, she also outgrew some of this stuff. Fire drills used to be a real problem, for instance, but she's acclimated.
This sounds exactly like DS. Fire drills have historically been a huge problem, also, but better over time. When we walk into his school building together--there is a complete change of affect, immediately. He goes straight into lala land and I can no longer communicate with him. I see some improvement on new med regimen, though.
We have tried noise-cancelling headphones with DD, or headphones with music, and she rips them off saying she can't stand it. It's almost like she's seeking out stimuli. One the one hand it causes her to lose focus, but on the other hand she's seeking it out. She has pretty obvious ADHD because of the impulsivity/hyperactivity as well as inattentiveness.
Ugh! Also sounds familiar. It's so difficult when the child can't stand any of the things we try to do to help. I don't have a point, just commiserating. My DS is very resistant to this type of intervention. Or, as far as that goes, any time of intervention...
