Why Do People With Autism Wear Headphones?

Individuals with autism often experience the world in different ways than their neurotypical peers.

As such, they may require tools and aids to help them navigate daily situations.

If you’re the parent of a child with autism, you may wonder how to make life easier for your child, and one solution may be to invest in the right pair of headphones.

Why Individuals With Autism Might Cover Their Ears?

Ambulance sirens and train sounds may be overwhelming even to neurotypical individuals.

However, for a person with autism, these sounds may even result in extreme sensory input.

Autism is best described by the spectrum wheel, where each individual with autism may have different levels of the potential symptoms.

Additionally, the noises can lead to anxiety and difficulty focusing.

Noises can lead to anxiety and difficulty focusing, which are symptoms of autism even in an ideal environment. 

Even mild talking in a library can impact a person’s ability to focus, and it’s possible you’ve seen people cover their ears in such scenarios to try to drown out the sounds.

While covering ears is one method that can help with loud noises, over time, it may be further helpful to invest in a solid set of headphones.

Reasons People with Autism May Want to Wear Headphones

Different people with autism will benefit from headphones for different reasons.

For example, some will have misophonia, which is a sound sensitivity caused by subtle repetitive noises, while others have phonophobia, which is when a person has an extreme fear of noisy places.

This means there are several reasons why headphones might be beneficial to someone with autism.

Misophonia is a sound sensitivity caused by subtle repetitive noises, while phonophobia is when a person has an extreme fear of noisy places.

The right headphones may help:

Increase Alertness:

With headphones, a person can listen to their favorite music, which can boost alertness. This is why people might be able to work out longer when they’re listening to good tunes.

It’s a self-regulation strategy to focus harder on the task at hand. This may make it easier for individuals with autism to do homework or take a test.

Handle Sensory Overload:

People with autism sometimes may deal with sensory overload. For some, this impacts them through the auditory input. They may have a lower threshold even if a place isn’t particularly noisy.

Wearing headphones may make this sensory input more manageable. 

Enhance Focus:

Auditory distractions can be a major challenge for some children with autism. At school, kids can become overwhelmed by others talking or the sound of an everyday object like a leaf blower on the playground. 

Regulate Emotions:

Anyone with autism may go through stressful experiences more easily. Neurodivergent individuals may need to calm down after the fact.

Canceling out noises or listening to music can assist with this. 

Go To More Events:

Some people with autism may avoid social interactions because they know it’ll be noisy. They may not go to parties or be hesitant about attending special celebrations, like birthdays and graduations.

Headphones can allow them to remain included while feeling comfortable. They can remove them via their choice to participate on their terms.

Autism Noise Canceling Headphones

There are many different kinds of headphones out there.

However, specific noise-canceling headphones may be preferred by those with autism.

These are devices specially designed to drown out noises of the outside world.

Individuals may appreciate this type of headphones if they make it easier to listen to music or simply to enter and remain in a calm state. 

There are many different kinds of headphones out there, many of which are well-suited for autism.

These are devices specially designed to drown out noises of the outside world.

One type of headphones to consider is passive noise isolation (PNI) headphones.

They serve the same purpose as other noise-canceling headphones, but they mold to the user’s ear.

This allows them to listen to music at a lower volume, allowing them to drown out other sounds while not experiencing overwhelming sensations within the headphones themselves. 

Additional FAQs

Do individuals with autism need to wear headphones?

Everyone’s  journey is different.

Some people experience sensory overload often and could benefit from headphones.

Others may not mind loud noises as much.

What are the headphones individuals with autism wear?

Many headphone varieties are out there.

Some are designed more to block noises while others focus on a more pleasant music listening experience.

It’s important to understand your child to see what specific issues they’re having with sounds so that you can get the set of headphones that meet their needs. 

References:

https://www.autismparentingmagazine.com/choosing-noise-canceling-headphones/

https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/blog/autism-sensory-processing-products/