Do you remember those hearing tests in elementary school?
A test administrator would plunk bulky headphones over your ears and ask you to raise your hand every time you heard a sound. I always expected to fail those things but never did.
Once my mother asked my doctor to do the test. She was certain I had hearing problems because I was always asking people to repeat what they said. My teacher had also complained about the number of times she had to say my name before I’d respond.
But, alas, I passed the hearing test…again.
My doctor gave my mother some excuse about not paying attention and needing to focus more, blah, blah, blah.
What no one realized and, as a child I was unable to articulate it, I could hear just fine. The issue had nothing to do with a refusal to pay attention in class nor with my hearing, it had everything to do with the way I process sound.
Even in adulthood, I struggle to process what others are saying, have extreme sensitivity to sounds, and can’t filter out background noises. I’ve found ways to excuse these issues like, in groups, mirroring everyone else’s responses. If they nod their heads, I nod my head. In one-on-one situations, I’ll say I have poor hearing even though it’s a lie to explain why I’ve asked them to repeat themselves a few times.
It wasn’t until I was diagnosed with Autism at the age of 39 that I figured out why this was happening. Following my diagnosis, I put in a lot of time researching autism. So many ‘wrong’ things about me were finally explained.
Now I understand that, like many autistics, I have auditory processing disorder.
What is auditory processing disorder?
Auditory processing disorder is a condition where you can hear sounds normally, but your brain has trouble understanding and making sense of those sounds. It can make it difficult to understand speech, follow directions, or distinguish between similar sounds.
Although anyone can have auditory processing disorder, approximately 5% of children have it, experts have estimated that up to 80% of autistic people have some level of auditory processing issues.
While researchers and doctors don’t know the exact cause for auditory processing disorder in autistics but some research suggests it’s an issue with autistic brains’ limited ability to store information into long-term memory.
What we do know is anxiety, stress, and fatigue can exacerbate it.
Like all autistic traits, auditory processing issues can present differently from individual to individual.
Hypersensitivity:
Some sounds can be overwhelming or too loud. This one is more noticeable in individuals because a common response is to cover our ears.
I covered my ears often in childhood but, unfortunately, was ridiculed by those around me about it. “It wasn’t THAT loud,” they’d say.
For a long time, I purposely avoided covering my ears to avoid being picked on. It was painful to hear the sound. But now that I know why I’m sensitive to sounds, I now allow myself to cover my ears. I’ve also purchased Loops ear plugs which I carry in my purse.
Our hypersensitivity can also cause of to have a physical reaction to common sounds that may not bother most people.
For me, hearing people smack, even small smacking sounds, sends my anxiety level through the roof. There are specific words that make me cringe when I hear them. I’m not sure why but it sounds like nails scratching a chalkboard. That’s the reaction I have.
Filtering sounds:
For those of us that experience this one, it can be difficult — often impossible — to filter out background noises and focus on one sound.
Having a conversation in a restaurant is an exhausting experience for me — I can’t filter out other conversations, the clanging of utensils, and doors opening and closing.
This can also contribute to most autistics’ need for quiet areas to work instead of open-concept office spaces. To listen to conversations with coworkers or on the phone, we have to fight against other sounds like fingers typing keyboards, mouse clicks, elevators moving, heavy footsteps down the walk ways, the air conditioner running, and coffee pots brewing.
Mental Processing Speed:
This one is a rough one to live with, at least, from my personal experience. My brain processes information at a slower pace than neurotypicals. I can hear what someone is saying — I hear the words — but understanding their meaning takes some time. I’ll understand a joke a minute or two after everyone else laughs.
Those of us that experience this often miss steps in verbally delivered instructions and ask people to repeat what they’ve said.
Prosody:
Prosody is the rhythm, intonation, and emotional tone in speech. Some autistic people can have difficulty interpreting these cues, which interferes with our ability to understand the emotional context of conversations.
My daughter, who is eight, loves to joke about how much I ruin sarcasm. She will say, “I hated my dinner. I can’t believe you fed that to me.” I can never tell if she is being sarcastic or really hated her dinner. I’ve since learned to look at her plate before I respond. If she ate everything, then she’s being sarcastic. If she’s hardly touched it, then she probably didn’t like it.
For people I know well, I try to decide if what they said is something they’d normally say — does it fit a pattern of previous behavior, beliefs, or conversations, — or look for eye rolls and other dramatic facial moments that might indicate if it’s sarcasm.
And this goes for other emotions as well. I can’t tell if something is bothering someone by what they say unless it’s really dramatic. Instead, I focus on changes in their behavior or facial expressions, etc. Are they crying (or not smiling)? Are their eyes red? Are they fidgeting with something?
Be patient and deliver information in multiple ways
I was a teacher in a past life. One of the things we were taught was to ensure our lessons covered all the learning styles. Offer notes, give verbal instructions, provide visuals, and get hands-on if possible. Don’t just read Shakespeare, give the kids pool noodles and have them act out fight scenes! The more senses that are involved, the more people will remember the information.
Whether you are in the office or in a classroom, there is no reason you can’t provide information in multiple forms. Relying on verbally delivered information is risky even for neurotypicals. (Ever heard of the telephone game?) Providing information and instructions in written form and with visuals ensures everyone understands the concept or problem being discussed.
Most importantly, be patient. It doesn’t matter if the person you are interacting with is autistic, ADHD, or neurotypical. Auditory processing issues can affect anyone. Give people a moment to process new information and go a step further by giving them license to take as much time as they need.
A simple, “You don’t have to answer that (provide feedback, etc.) right now. You can take some time to think about it and get back to me,” can be a relief to someone dealing with auditory issues.