Sensitivity to sound can make life too noisy. But there are strategies that can help.

One of the first noises that terrified me as a child was that of water pouring down the bathtub drain.

I remember covering my ears and running out of the room as soon as they pulled the plug to avoid it.

To this day, this sound makes my body tense and my heart race. I now understand that this response is a symptom of my autism, which makes me more sensitive to various sounds.

Charging…

My autism was missed in childhood. I had trouble paying attention in noisy classrooms. My elementary and middle school teachers reported that I was quiet.

My parents also overlooked the symptoms of autism in me. They didn’t realize that vacuuming or turning on the TV would make me angry.

I was constantly experiencing sensory overload—a fight, flight, or freeze response caused by my brain being overwhelmed by sensory input. This meant that he regularly had major meltdowns that were dismissed as tantrums.

These days I live in Melbourne which, like many cities, is full of loud and unpredictable noise.

For me, it feels like the volume of life is turned up too high. I grit my teeth at the sound of the brakes screeching. Tram bells scare me. And I hear hundreds of conversations around me, all at once.

It’s so loud I can’t even hear my own thoughts. I often need to lower the volume of my surroundings.

Autism and sensitivity to sound.

Receiving a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder at age 18 was a turning point for me. Once I understood why I was so sensitive to the sound in my environment, I was able to begin to adapt.

I began using noise-canceling headphones and high-fidelity earplugs in public spaces that were previously too noisy for me to navigate comfortably.

But why do autistic brains process sound so differently?

Philippa James is an audiologist and researcher at the University of Melbourne who studies this question. She says these differences in auditory processing are only beginning to be understood.

She says we don’t know yet. why autistic people perceive some sounds as a threat and process them differently compared to non-autistic people.

“What likely contributes to these variations in auditory processing are differences in attention… as well as higher levels of stress,” Ms. James says.

The various sound sensitivities seen in autistic people who come to Ms. James’ clinic are known collectively by experts as “decreased sound tolerance disorders.”

These disorders include hyperacusiswhere sounds perceived by others as being of normal volume cause physical discomfort.

another is misophoniawhich often manifests as an intense emotional or physiological response to specific noises regardless of their volume.

Sounds that can trigger this reaction are things like chewing, drinking, or clicking on the keyboard. They are often sounds made by other people.

About three-quarters of people who come to Ms. James’ clinic experience misophonia. Misophonia, hyperacusis, and other related disorders can cause sensory overload like the one I experience.

The clients Ms. James sees with these disorders often enter an unhelpful feedback loop of “attention, perception, reaction, and concentration,” which puts them in a constant state of fight or flight.

“However, the brain can be retrained to reverse this process slowly over time, so that people can begin to desensitize themselves to triggering sounds,” he says.

Design public spaces to sound different

According to Ilianna Ginnis, an interior architectural designer and disability support worker, there are not enough public spaces accessible to people with sound sensitivity.

“I think it’s for multiple reasons. I think because this concept is quite new to many architects and designers. But they are also not aware of how users have these various experiences.”

Ms. Ginnis’ work is based on a series of principles known as universal design, which aims to create buildings and environments that are accessible to people regardless of disability, age or other characteristics. It is also sometimes known as inclusive design.

Following universal design principles means that spaces such as train stations, city squares or public buildings can allocate specific areas as “sensory zones.”

A low sensory zone, for example, can reduce background noise and help people with sound sensitivity concentrate better.

Designing spaces that include neurodivergent people is an emerging trend around the world, according to Catherine Grant, an occupational therapist and accessibility consultant.

“Accessibility is a little more standards-based, whereas universal design is more of a philosophy. You never quite achieve something that’s universally designed,” Ms. Grant says.

“(But) you can always design it to be more inclusive. It is a process and not a product or an end point as such.”

Combat sensitivity to sound

Audiologist Philippa James works with clients on using sound enrichment to help them navigate noisy spaces.

This is a person playing low level sounds through headphones that can help mask and manage sounds from the outside world. Popular enrichment sounds include crashing waves, the sound of rain on a roof, or white noise.

“Using sound in this way can increase confidence in moderately unsafe or acoustically unpredictable environments, where you could potentially be exposed to one or more of the trigger sounds,” he says.

Noise-canceling headphones and filtered earplugs can also be used in noisy public spaces.

What’s next if you think you have auditory processing problems?

Ms. James says people experiencing decreased sound tolerance disorders can seek the services of an accredited audiologist.

Some may specialize in sound sensitivities or have experience with autistic or neurodivergent clients.

A GP can refer a patient to an audiologist and the Audiology Australia website can help people find the nearest accredited doctor.

Although I now use accessibility aids like noise-canceling headphones, earplugs, and white noise, I still experience sensory overloads and meltdowns regularly. So I’m taking a new approach.

Throughout the production of this story, I learned about other technologies and therapies available that can help people like me.

This has inspired me to make an appointment with an audiologist to better manage my sound sensitivity so I can turn down the volume on life, just a little, to where I’m comfortable.

Amelia Geiss is a sound engineer and producer from Melbourne.

Hear more about Amelia’s perspective on sound. in this episode of All in the Mind (warning: this episode contains noise that may trigger some people) and subscribe to the podcast to explore more topics about the brain and mind.

Editorial assistance from Danielle Cahill.