Sonic bombardment, noise hypersensitivity and ethics: A response to Fodstad and colleagues: ‘Assessment and treatment of noise hypersensitivity in a teenager with autism Spectrum Disorder’

Botha, M., Grant, A., Memmott, A., Milton, D., Pearson, A., Williams, G., & Woods, R. (2021). Sonic bombardment, noise hypersensitivity and ethics: A response to Fodstad and colleagues: ‘Assessment and treatment of noise hypersensitivity in a teenager with autism Spectrum Disorder’ [Preprint]. Center for Open Science. https://doi.org/10.31219/osf.io/9578b

Publication date: 29 Oct 2021 Added to AutiHub: 5 Jul 2026 Type: Preprint Article language: English

This publication is integrated into AutiHub through:

Authors

Publication authors
7
Publication authors identified as autistic
6 / 7 (85.7%)

Abstract

This commentary – provided by a group of Autistic researchers – reflects on a case study trialling a ‘modified Cognitive Behavioural Therapy intervention’ to address the ‘noise hypersensitivity’ and associated behaviours of an Autistic teenager, ‘Aaron’. We identify serious flaws in the evidence base behind the ‘therapy’: including failing to account for divergent Autistic sensory reactivity, aiming to remove ‘stimming’ behaviours and promoting masking. We challenge the lack of informed consent reported as given by either Aaron or a proxy and the absence of any reported ethical approval for this case study. We also strongly condemn the methods of sonic bombardment delivered upon Aaron under the guise of ‘therapy’. We conclude with three questions around the processes that led to the original article’s publication. All authors are joint first authors. The essay was published by Participatory Autism Research Collective: https://participatoryautismresearch.wordpress.com/2021/10/27/sonic-bombardment-noise-hypersensitivity-and-ethics-a-response-to-fodstad-and-colleagues/

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These indicators describe the cited bibliography imported for this publication. Cited-reference metrics use the cited-reference total as denominator. Cited-author metrics state whether they use all cited-author occurrences or only occurrences linked to authors already integrated in the AutiHub database. They use cached links between cited authors and authors integrated in the AutiHub database. Last computed: 16 Aug 2026 11:30.

Cited references
79
Total cited references integrated for this publication.
Cited references with an identified autistic author
19 / 79 (24.1%)
Cited author occurrences identified as autistic
25 / 270 (9.3%)
Among occurrences linked to AutiHub author records: 25 / 119 (21.0%). Distinct cited authors identified as autistic: 15 / 235 (6.4%).
Cited author occurrences linked to AutiHub author records
119 / 270 (44.1%)
Distinct linked cited authors: 86 / 235 (36.6%)
Linked cited-author occurrences not identified as autistic
94 / 119 (79.0%)
Among linked cited-author occurrences only. Across all cited-author occurrences: 94 / 270 (34.8%). Distinct linked cited authors not identified as autistic: 71 / 86 (82.6%).
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