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Sensory Issues: Hearing

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red_doghubb
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18 Sep 2019, 2:23 pm

Trogluddite wrote:
red_doghubb wrote:
so for those of you diagnosed, was hearing your main sensory issue? Or a secondary issue?

Sensory issues are not mentioned at all in my diagnostic report, though I did speak briefly with the psychologist about them - we even had to pause the interviews a few times because the autism unit was in a shared building which was too noisy, and she agreed with me that it was a poor choice of location for this reason. The whole thing was focused almost completely on the social deficits and repetitive behaviours from the official diagnostic criteria, and I didn't know enough about autism at the time to realise how intimately connected they were with my sensory perception and executive functioning. I had believed for decades that my sensory sensitivities, synaesthesia, and auditory hallucinations were just consequences of sleep deprivation from my chronic insomnia, so I wasn't looking for them to be explained during my assessment. Just as well I joined WP, or I might never have known the connection!

On a personal level; sound sensitivity is the sensory issue which is the most immediately and directly frustrating, and the one most associated with melt-downs and shut-downs. My other sensitivities (some hypo- rather than hyper-) may have affected me just as profoundly in more indirect ways, I think (for example; poor interoception leading to poor care of my physical needs and possibly connected with alexithymia.)


You know, when I asked this I was thinking of DSM V where sensory issues are a diagnostic criterion, but not in DSM IV which is what many here may have been evaluated under. I imagine this makes a difference in whether sensory issues were factored in at all.



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18 Sep 2019, 5:18 pm

red_doghubb wrote:
so for those of you diagnosed, was hearing your main sensory issue? Or a secondary issue?

I don't think it came up. The only sensory issues I remember talking about was touch sensitivity to pressure from clothing etc. Just got overlooked I guess.



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18 Sep 2019, 5:59 pm

I believe I was born with tinnitus perceived in both ears since I've had it all of my life and as such, have never experienced silence in my life. I also have hyperacusis. I'm also hyper-sensitive to repetitive sounds like finger tapping, rattling, mosquitoes in a room, even if only one, etc. If there is a quiet but repetitive noise in the back of the car such as two things rattling softly together I have to rectify the situation before continuing on a journey.

The hyperacusis means hearing high pitched sounds like a smoke alarm or metal on metal vehicle brakes screeching are excruciating for me. I inadvertently grimace like I've been hit with something. Any sound that is moderate to others seems to be too loud for me. I also can hear much higher frequencies than most people my age. I wear earplugs in most public places as a result. They are high-fidelity silicone earplugs that are clear colored and nearly invisible.

The audiologist I saw who diagnosed me said I should force myself to experience loud volume noises for short periods to habituate to such noises and that would lessen my hyperacusis. The problem with this is that having tinnitus means exposure to loud sounds increases the perceived volume of the ringing in my ears often for days afterward. The other issue is that I take great pains to care for my ears because I know that if I eventually go deaf, the ONLY sound I will continue to 'hear' will be the ringing at which I would be constantly aware of it.

I can hear faint sounds even outside of the house that others, even my children can't hear.



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19 Sep 2019, 11:33 am

I'm really sensitive to sound. High pitched and loud noises hurt my ears, I have to cover them. I can hear things people around me don't seem to notice (buzzing of various household appliances, or a low humming sound that sounds industrial and like it's far away). It's really uncomfortable. I also get startled easily by noise. I can't sleep if my room is near a moderately-traveled street.

Fire drills were the WORST in school.


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19 Sep 2019, 6:22 pm

martianprincess wrote:
I'm really sensitive to sound. High pitched and loud noises hurt my ears, I have to cover them. I can hear things people around me don't seem to notice (buzzing of various household appliances, or a low humming sound that sounds industrial and like it's far away). It's really uncomfortable. I also get startled easily by noise. I can't sleep if my room is near a moderately-traveled street. Fire drills were the WORST in school.

what do you think of deep bass sounds, either environmental [air handler noise in buildings, thunder, industry] or musical [pipe organs, synths, bass guitars et al]?



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19 Sep 2019, 6:51 pm

auntblabby wrote:
martianprincess wrote:
I'm really sensitive to sound. High pitched and loud noises hurt my ears, I have to cover them. I can hear things people around me don't seem to notice (buzzing of various household appliances, or a low humming sound that sounds industrial and like it's far away). It's really uncomfortable. I also get startled easily by noise. I can't sleep if my room is near a moderately-traveled street. Fire drills were the WORST in school.

what do you think of deep bass sounds, either environmental [air handler noise in buildings, thunder, industry] or musical [pipe organs, synths, bass guitars et al]?


I'm terrified of thunder, I have always hated it. Air handler and industrial noises bother me too.

I love the bass in music though.


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19 Sep 2019, 7:06 pm

martianprincess wrote:
auntblabby wrote:
martianprincess wrote:
I'm really sensitive to sound. High pitched and loud noises hurt my ears, I have to cover them. I can hear things people around me don't seem to notice (buzzing of various household appliances, or a low humming sound that sounds industrial and like it's far away). It's really uncomfortable. I also get startled easily by noise. I can't sleep if my room is near a moderately-traveled street. Fire drills were the WORST in school.

what do you think of deep bass sounds, either environmental [air handler noise in buildings, thunder, industry] or musical [pipe organs, synths, bass guitars et al]?


I'm terrified of thunder, I have always hated it. Air handler and industrial noises bother me too. I love the bass in music though.

if you were in that store with me and heard/felt that 25 cycle rumble, would you have felt the need to quickly leave the building?



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19 Sep 2019, 9:33 pm

auntblabby wrote:
martianprincess wrote:
auntblabby wrote:
martianprincess wrote:
I'm really sensitive to sound. High pitched and loud noises hurt my ears, I have to cover them. I can hear things people around me don't seem to notice (buzzing of various household appliances, or a low humming sound that sounds industrial and like it's far away). It's really uncomfortable. I also get startled easily by noise. I can't sleep if my room is near a moderately-traveled street. Fire drills were the WORST in school.

what do you think of deep bass sounds, either environmental [air handler noise in buildings, thunder, industry] or musical [pipe organs, synths, bass guitars et al]?


I'm terrified of thunder, I have always hated it. Air handler and industrial noises bother me too. I love the bass in music though.

if you were in that store with me and heard/felt that 25 cycle rumble, would you have felt the need to quickly leave the building?


I wouldn't need to leave, I can usually keep myself calm mostly.


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19 Sep 2019, 9:38 pm

martianprincess wrote:
auntblabby wrote:
martianprincess wrote:
auntblabby wrote:
martianprincess wrote:
I'm really sensitive to sound. High pitched and loud noises hurt my ears, I have to cover them. I can hear things people around me don't seem to notice (buzzing of various household appliances, or a low humming sound that sounds industrial and like it's far away). It's really uncomfortable. I also get startled easily by noise. I can't sleep if my room is near a moderately-traveled street. Fire drills were the WORST in school.

what do you think of deep bass sounds, either environmental [air handler noise in buildings, thunder, industry] or musical [pipe organs, synths, bass guitars et al]?


I'm terrified of thunder, I have always hated it. Air handler and industrial noises bother me too. I love the bass in music though.

if you were in that store with me and heard/felt that 25 cycle rumble, would you have felt the need to quickly leave the building?


I wouldn't need to leave, I can usually keep myself calm mostly.

the way i heard it, it sounded just like a hidden pipe organ and organist stepping on the low [32'] G subbass pedal. very musical sounding and exactly on-key. if you're a fan of such an instrument you mighta found it entertaining.



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19 Sep 2019, 9:46 pm

auntblabby wrote:
martianprincess wrote:
auntblabby wrote:
martianprincess wrote:
auntblabby wrote:
martianprincess wrote:
I'm really sensitive to sound. High pitched and loud noises hurt my ears, I have to cover them. I can hear things people around me don't seem to notice (buzzing of various household appliances, or a low humming sound that sounds industrial and like it's far away). It's really uncomfortable. I also get startled easily by noise. I can't sleep if my room is near a moderately-traveled street. Fire drills were the WORST in school.

what do you think of deep bass sounds, either environmental [air handler noise in buildings, thunder, industry] or musical [pipe organs, synths, bass guitars et al]?


I'm terrified of thunder, I have always hated it. Air handler and industrial noises bother me too. I love the bass in music though.

if you were in that store with me and heard/felt that 25 cycle rumble, would you have felt the need to quickly leave the building?


I wouldn't need to leave, I can usually keep myself calm mostly.

the way i heard it, it sounded just like a hidden pipe organ and organist stepping on the low [32'] G subbass pedal. very musical sounding and exactly on-key. if you're a fan of such an instrument you mighta found it entertaining.


Probably would have. :)
I was in Saint Louis, MO at City Museum this past summer in the caves area and I was standing near this huge pipe organ that someone started playing unexpectedly. I had a tough time with the loudness giving me anxiety/slight panic feeling but I still enjoyed it.


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19 Sep 2019, 9:56 pm

martianprincess wrote:
I was in Saint Louis, MO at City Museum this past summer in the caves area and I was standing near this huge pipe organ that someone started playing unexpectedly. I had a tough time with the loudness giving me anxiety/slight panic feeling but I still enjoyed it.

the suddenness of it would have given me a start. :o a theatrical pipe organist let me play his organ once, very amateurishly. i really loved flipping the 32' contrabass and bombarde stop tabs, stepping on the low C pedal and making the theatre shake. :bounce: :bounce: :bounce:



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20 Sep 2019, 12:57 pm

auntblabby wrote:
martianprincess wrote:
I was in Saint Louis, MO at City Museum this past summer in the caves area and I was standing near this huge pipe organ that someone started playing unexpectedly. I had a tough time with the loudness giving me anxiety/slight panic feeling but I still enjoyed it.

the suddenness of it would have given me a start. :o a theatrical pipe organist let me play his organ once, very amateurishly. i really loved flipping the 32' contrabass and bombarde stop tabs, stepping on the low C pedal and making the theatre shake. :bounce: :bounce: :bounce:


Making stuff shake sure is fun. :bounce:


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20 Sep 2019, 1:09 pm

during my first two years of high school, I was allowed to discreetly leave the building a few minutes before fire drills because they bothered me so much.


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20 Sep 2019, 3:30 pm

Zakatar wrote:
during my first two years of high school, I was allowed to discreetly leave the building a few minutes before fire drills because they bothered me so much.



that was pretty accommodating of the school staff



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20 Sep 2019, 3:43 pm

auntblabby wrote:
i really loved flipping the 32' contrabass and bombarde stop tabs, stepping on the low C pedal and making the theatre shake. :bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

I get both extremes with low bass frequencies. The sound of a neighbour's fridge or dehumidifier being transmitted through the building can turn me into a gibbering blob, especially at night. But I do miss standing in front of a couple of 15" speaker cones and giving my bass guitar a good thrashing. It's only been practical for me to play through headphones for a long time now, and it's not a patch on being able to feel it with with my whole body.


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20 Sep 2019, 3:47 pm

Trogluddite wrote:
auntblabby wrote:
i really loved flipping the 32' contrabass and bombarde stop tabs, stepping on the low C pedal and making the theatre shake. :bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

I get both extremes with low bass frequencies. The sound of a neighbour's fridge or dehumidifier being transmitted through the building can turn me into a gibbering blob, especially at night. But I do miss standing in front of a couple of 15" speaker cones and giving my bass guitar a good thrashing. It's only been practical for me to play through headphones for a long time now, and it's not a patch on being able to feel it with with my whole body.


I too pick up on the most remote bass sounds. But stuff like car speakers blaring bass out on the street is like a driving truck through my head.