Exploring auditory perception experiences in daily situations in autistic adults.

Researchers studied hearing experiences in autistic adults using a questionnaire. They found that autistic people have more trouble with hearing in daily life, especially understanding speech in noisy situations and figuring out where sounds come from. Both people with formal autism diagnoses and those who self-identify as autistic reported similar hearing challenges. This shows that hearing difficulties are common in autistic adults and that self-identification is valid for research purposes.

This Dutch study examined auditory perception experiences in autistic adults using the Speech, Spatial, and Qualities of Hearing Questionnaire. The sample included 63 autistic adults (18 self-identifying, 45 clinically diagnosed) and 66 non-autistic controls. Both autistic groups reported significantly greater difficulties with overall auditory perception and speech comprehension compared to non-autistic individuals. Clinically diagnosed participants also showed additional challenges with sound quality and spatial hearing.

Post-hoc analysis highlighted speech processing as particularly problematic for autistic individuals. Notably, self-identifying and clinically diagnosed participants showed similar patterns of auditory difficulties, supporting the validity of self-identification in autism research and emphasizing the need for inclusive research practices.

Results suggest auditory processing assessments should be standard in autism evaluations. Clinicians should consider environmental modifications and support strategies for speech comprehension in noisy settings. Findings support including self-identifying autistic individuals in research and clinical considerations, as their experiences align with those of clinically diagnosed individuals.

Cross-sectional design limits causal inferences. Self-report questionnaire data may be subject to response bias. Sample recruited primarily from Netherlands but questionnaire administered in English. Study type not clearly specified. No information provided about participant demographics or potential confounding variables.

Autistic individuals often show differential sensory perception, including hypo- or hypersensitivities to sound. Previous research also suggests that autistic individuals often have difficulty processing intentional and affective cues in speech acoustics. However, general speech processing difficulties remain underexplored. We investigated self-reported auditory perception using the Speech, Spatial, and Qualities of Hearing Questionnaire among autistic (self-identifying ( = 18) and clinically diagnosed ( = 45)) and non-autistic adults ( = 66).

The study was conducted in the Netherlands, but the questionnaire and call for participation were in English and open to anyone regardless of country of residence. Both clinically diagnosed and self-identifying individuals with autism reported significantly lower scores on the Speech, Spatial, and Qualities of Hearing Questionnaire score and on the Speech subscale compared with non-autistic individuals, indicating challenges in overall quality of auditory perception, speech comprehension. Clinically diagnosed individuals also showed lower scores on the quality and spatial subscales compared with non-autistic individuals. Post hoc analysis further suggested that speech hearing is particularly challenging for many autistic individuals.

In addition, our finding that self-identifying and clinically diagnosed autistic individuals show similar patterns of hearing difficulties emphasizes the need for more inclusive research practices that collect the experiences of all the individuals in the autistic community in the study of sensory perception in autism.Lay abstractAutistic individuals often have very different sensory experiences compared with non-autistic individuals. One anecdotally mentioned, but not well-researched phenomenon is difficulty processing what we are hearing. Rather than challenges related to language understanding, such as nonliteral or indirect language, autistic people may also have more difficulty making sense of the sounds of their environment. This may be hearing where particular sounds are coming from, or understanding what is being said, particularly in noisy situations.

To bring more attention and clarity to this challenge, we asked autistic and non-autistic adults to fill out a short survey that measures one's hearing experiences in daily life. We found that autistic individuals report more difficulty across several types of hearing, and most prominently regarding speech hearing, when compared with non-autistic individuals. This finding highlights that reports of auditory processing difficulties when there is no hearing loss are not niche experiences, but rather reflect a common experience in autistic adults. In addition, we found that clinically diagnosed and self-identifying individuals reported very similar experiences.

This highlights the validity of self-identification/self-diagnosis for research aimed at understanding autistic experiences. This study, therefore, emphasizes the need for more research and awareness regarding auditory perception and hearing in autistic adults. The study also emphasizes the value of more inclusive research practices that collect the experiences of all individuals within the autism community.