My ears are weird...

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It's true, they are! When I was little, I was able to hear everything really loudly (I actually had to plug my ears if the garage was opening or closing, if the bath water was running, if music was too loud, or if my mom was vacuuming or mowing the lawn). But now, it seems I can only hear about half as well. I'm constantly having to say "What?" or "Huh?" and it makes me and whom I'm talking to annoyed. It's not that I have bad listening skills. I'll listen my hardest and still not be able to hear what they're saying. As for the noises, I actually like my music up loud now and the other things don't bother me one bit. I did have a ton of ear infections when I was really young, but why should that effect my hearing now but not back then? Does anyone know what the heck is going on and who else has this problem?

Loud music will affect your hearing more than you realise. And I guess after a while you'll have just adjusted somewhat if you've been able to cope with loud places.

I had a lot of ear infections when I was really young, but it didn't seem to affect my hearing. In high school people noted my sharp hearing ("you better not say that, hyperbolic has great hearing...he can hear anything", etc.). Now, I have to ask "What?" and say "Huh?" more. What could have caused this possible decline in hearing? Maybe it was driving large, noisy commercial lawnmowers for a lawnmower store I worked at, or from listening to music too loudly on headphones.

Hi, Lightning. You're right, if you had a lot of ear infections as a kid it shouldn't be affecting you now. Even at the time when a kid has an ear infection, they usually don't have more than a mild loss, which clears up when the ear infection does. It's possible that you might still have some hearing loss though, for instance from noise exposure or some other cause. You might also have an excessive amount of ear wax, too- that can cause a conductive hearing loss. Luckily that issue is easily fixed! If the problem persists, you might consider visiting an ENT or an audiologist.

Yeah, the ear infections haven't really happened at all in fourteen years. Also in middle school, I had failed one of the hearing tests that they conduct every two years or so. Mom was supposed to take me to the hospital to get my hearing fixed, but she didn't want to waste her time on me (yeah, great parenting). But yeah, this really started happening in middle school and has not improved one bit since. At least it does come with some advantages (fire alarms don't bother me and I can actually sleep through construction). But it's still weird!

I am only 32 and have started losing my hearing. That sucks.

Ipods and similar devices now come with WARNINGS because of how they can affect hearing!

The sensitivity differences are common with autism. I have the same.

BTW MY hearing isn't nearly as good as it was either. As for the what and HUH, with ME that has more to do with the other person mumbling, accents, and I guess maybe something like CAPD than anything else. Sometimes I figure it out JUST as I say HUH?! WHO KNOWS though! There is one person I know that mumbles, mispronounces, has a think accent, etc.... and I seem to be one of the few that can understand him.(I sometimes translate for our boss!) I even sometimes understand his phone calls.

As for the construction, etc... I guess even Aspies CAN filter! When I was younger, I had trouble sleeping at this one place that had wind up clocks. It took me over a year to get used to the valve I got for my heart, though nobody else can even hear it. SUPPOSEDLY, aspies have trouble with this, but I got over them.

Steve

I've not been hable to hear smaller sounds that usually blend into others. But that's not changed throughout my life. It's always been that way.

I have trouble hearing people speak, but that's all.

I can't cope when everyone is speaking at once, its almost like there voices oppose each other, kind of like noise cancelling headphones, and therefore I don't hear it.

I've always had selective hearing; some people don't even register to my reality when they speak my name...I only realize this afterwards obviously.

This was before I buggered my ears up with [military] small arms...the crickets, they're my friends.

I'd don't have a hearing problem but when I was a kid my parent had my hearing tested because I wouldn't respond. I hate noise like ringing, clicking, zzz, taping, etc.

I think my hearing can be selective, but not when I want it too.

My ears are actually slightly pointed at the ends.
Like an elf, or more specifically, a leprechaun, because I'm irish.

i have some great ears, theyve never given me problems

You might have Central Auditory Processing Disorder, which is not in the ears, but in the brain. It requires concentration to decode speech, but you can hear the speech as sounds, but the decoding is not happening. I have this problem and it is not uncommon with AS.

I have auditory processing issues AND hearing loss