audiTory hyPersensiTiviTy and auTism sPeCTrum disorders : an emoTional resPonse

REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION • AUTISM SCIENCE DIGEST: THE JOURNAL OF AUTISMONE • ISSUE 04 audiTory hypersensiTiviTy and auTism specTrum disorders One concern parents and professionals may have with children who have been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is that some of these children cannot tolerate listening to certain sounds. Often, parents observe that the children put their hands over their ears, run away from sounds, or sometimes lose control of their behaviors in the presence of certain sounds. These children are often identified as having auditory hypersensitivity or hypersensitive hearing.1-10 Although concern about auditory hypersensitivity has been especially focused on children on the autism spectrum, many non-autistic children also present with behaviors labeled as auditory hypersensitivity.2-4,6-9 For many years, experts focusing on auditory hypersensitivity and treatment for problems of hypersensitive hearing looked at this phenomenon as an auditory-system-based problem involving abnormal hearing but not hearing loss. Some defined auditory hypersensitivity as an overreaction to sounds that should (over time) no longer warrant such responses. However, recent research has led us to a better understanding of what may be going on in children who have hypersensitive hearing. An understanding of possible mechanisms can assist us in providing more appropriate interventions to help children overcome auditory sensitivity problems. This article discusses auditory hypersensitivity with a focus on the current state of our understanding of the problem and treatment for such problems.