People with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often experience auditory processing difficulties - such as in understanding speech when there is a lot of background noise, finding it hard to listen with many people talking at the same time, and focusing on verbal instructions. Auditory processing deficits contribute to the social and communication difficulties that people with autism face. Having poor auditory input can reduce one's ability to pick up verbal cues and emotion expression and increase anxiety due to a seemingly overwhelming auditory environment. This can trigger negative behaviours as a means of coping or trying to understand. However ongoing research is showing that treatments used for Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) can be successfully used for individuals with autism too.

ASD has one of the fastest growing prevalence rates among clinical conditions. In New Zealand, it affects approximately 1 in 58 people. This includes people who were previously classified as having Asperger’s Syndrome. It is believed that autism affects boys four times more than girls, but there is increasing research showing that girls with autism are under-represented because they have different behaviours and coping mechanisms. There are also other conditions that often occur, or are diagnosed in association with, autism. Some common ones include:

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a genetic condition that affects the development of the brain. People with Autism Spectrum Disorder/Differences (ASD) commonly experience difficulties with communication and social interactions. They may also have restricted and/or repetitive patterns of behaviour. This can affect other aspects of their life - like their language development, education, occupation, and relationships. Perceiving the condition as a ‘spectrum’ reflects how very different and unique all people with autism are from one another.

More information about ASD can be found at the following locations.

The current recommended process of diagnosing autism involves a multidisciplinary team. Professionals from different disciplines look at a combination of the person’s family/developmental history; behaviours in different settings and with different people; comprehension and reasoning skills; speech and language; mental health; physical health; and any unusual sensory, motor, or coordination issues.

Although a simple hearing assessment is frequently carried out, more complex hearing problems may be missed because of other autism-related behaviours. Auditory processing disorder is a type of hearing loss not related to physical damage to the ears, but to what the brain does with incoming sound see APD and Children. People with autism often experience auditory processing difficulties or have auditory processing disorder (APD).

Some primary auditory processing difficulties include:

There may also be hypersensitivity to sound or noise. These problems may underlie other difficulties such as:

More severe autism symptoms, for example stimming, rocking, covering the ears, and screaming, may stem from being in a very complex or demanding auditory environment. These behaviours may be a form of coping when feeling overwhelmed.

As with autism, a diagnosis of APD requires the evaluation of information from a range of sources. For children suspected of having APD, parents and teachers are asked to provide their perspectives on listening behaviours and auditory skills or problems. For adults suspected of having APD, information from questionnaires can be used to supplement case history information.

A confirmed diagnosis of APD requires a specialised battery of audiological tests administered and interpreted by an audiologist. These tests include:

Ongoing research shows that treatments used for APD can be successfully used for autism too see also Children and APD/ Treatment. Most notable is the use of assistive listening devices (i.e. remote microphone hearing aid systems – RMHA systems). Some forms of auditory training are also useful. Examples of research findings in studies looking at treatment of auditory processing difficulties in autism include:

SoundSkills is a service specialising in the diagnosis and treatment of Auditory Processing Disorder (APD). The team of experts at SoundSkills includes audiologists, a speech-language therapist, and a special education adviser. An APD assessment at SoundSkills includes a full battery of APD tests, as well as comprehensive review of observations of parents, teachers, and other professionals working with the individual.

A range of scientifically validated treatment options - including RMHA system trials, auditory training, and speech-language therapy - are offered by the team at SoundSkills. Support, including school and sometimes home visits, can be provided to ensure the best possible outcome in effectively managing auditory processing difficulties in children with ASD.

The team at SoundSkills has resources and methods for working with individuals with a range of conditions. For autism in particular, difficulties addressed include helping individuals become accustomed to wearing headphones in order to undertake APD testing, and use of strategies to help children stay engaged on lengthy or demanding auditory tasks. The team at SoundSkills is flexible and prepared to work through a customised process to help the individual succeed in achieving an APD assessment, and if diagnosed, successfully participate in treatment.

Team members at SoundSkills are affiliated with experts at university programmes specialising in APD and ASD at the University of Memphis (USA), the University of North Texas (USA), the University of Melbourne (Australia), and the University of Auckland (New Zealand), and are actively engaged in ongoing research in these areas.