Exploring auditory perception experiences in daily situations in autistic adults

This publication is included in the Autistic Autism Scholarship Project. one author of this publication is identified as autistic in the project.

About the autistic author marker

Silva, E. S., Drijvers, L., & Trujillo, J. P. (2025). Exploring auditory perception experiences in daily situations in autistic adults. Autism, 30(2), 439-451. https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613251391492

Publication date: 14 Nov 2025 Added to AutiHub: 18 Oct 2026 Type: Article Article language: English

This publication is integrated into AutiHub through:

Authors

Publication authors
3
Publication authors identified as autistic
1 / 3 (33.3%)

Abstract

Autistic individuals often show differential sensory perception, including hypo- or hypersensitivities to sound. Previous research also suggests that autistic individuals often have difficulty processing intentional and affective cues in speech acoustics. However, general speech processing difficulties remain underexplored. We investigated self-reported auditory perception using the Speech, Spatial, and Qualities of Hearing Questionnaire among autistic (self-identifying (n = 18) and clinically diagnosed (n = 45)) and non-autistic adults (N = 66). The study was conducted in the Netherlands, but the questionnaire and call for participation were in English and open to anyone regardless of country of residence. Both clinically diagnosed and self-identifying individuals with autism reported significantly lower scores on the Speech, Spatial, and Qualities of Hearing Questionnaire score and on the Speech subscale compared with non-autistic individuals, indicating challenges in overall quality of auditory perception, speech comprehension. Clinically diagnosed individuals also showed lower scores on the quality and spatial subscales compared with non-autistic individuals. Post hoc analysis further suggested that speech hearing is particularly challenging for many autistic individuals. In addition, our finding that self-identifying and clinically diagnosed autistic individuals show similar patterns of hearing difficulties emphasizes the need for more inclusive research practices that collect the experiences of all the individuals in the autistic community in the study of sensory perception in autism. Lay abstract Autistic individuals often have very different sensory experiences compared with non-autistic individuals. One anecdotally mentioned, but not well-researched phenomenon is difficulty processing what we are hearing. Rather than challenges related to language understanding, such as nonliteral or indirect language, autistic people may also have more difficulty making sense of the sounds of their environment. This may be hearing where particular sounds are coming from, or understanding what is being said, particularly in noisy situations. To bring more attention and clarity to this challenge, we asked autistic and non-autistic adults to fill out a short survey that measures one’s hearing experiences in daily life. We found that autistic individuals report more difficulty across several types of hearing, and most prominently regarding speech hearing, when compared with non-autistic individuals. This finding highlights that reports of auditory processing difficulties when there is no hearing loss are not niche experiences, but rather reflect a common experience in autistic adults. In addition, we found that clinically diagnosed and self-identifying individuals reported very similar experiences. This highlights the validity of self-identification/self-diagnosis for research aimed at understanding autistic experiences. This study, therefore, emphasizes the need for more research and awareness regarding auditory perception and hearing in autistic adults. The study also emphasizes the value of more inclusive research practices that collect the experiences of all individuals within the autism community.

Bibliography cited by this reference

Cited references are imported from external metadata sources when they are available. The list may be partial.

Cited bibliography overview

These indicators describe the bibliography cited by this publication. An author name is counted each time it appears in one cited reference, so the same person can be counted more than once. Names not yet linked to an author already present in AutiHub are treated as unknown, not as non-autistic. Last computed: 28 Oct 2026 01:01.

Cited references
55
With a DOI
51
Without a DOI, from raw bibliography text
4
6 / 55 (10.9%) cited references include at least one author identified as autistic.
References with data to complete
4 / 55 (7.3%)
References with detected author names
55 / 55 (100.0%)
Without detected author names
0
Without a structured title
4
Without a stable identifier
4
References with raw author names still to review
0
References with external metadata lookup issues
0
These indicators apply to cited references displayed on this page, after technical duplicates have been merged. A reference without a DOI can still support author statistics when a title and author names are available.
Author names detected in the cited bibliography
201
From DOI or external metadata
201
From validated raw bibliography text
0
Raw names already validated
0
Raw names still to review
0
72 / 201 (35.8%) names are linked to an author already present in AutiHub. 129 / 201 (64.2%) names are not yet linked.
Names linked to a person identified as autistic
8 / 201 (4.0%)
Calculated across all author names detected in the cited bibliography. Among names linked to an author already present in AutiHub: 8 / 72 (11.1%). Distinct people identified as autistic: 7 / 192 (3.6%).
  1. José I. Alcántara , Emma J.L. Weisblatt , Brian C.J. Moore , Patrick F. Bolton (2004). Speech‐in‐noise perception in high‐functioning individuals with autism or Asperger's syndrome . Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 45(6), 1107-1114. Wiley.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  2. Fabio Trecca , Kristian Tylén , Riccardo Fusaroli , Christer Johansson , Morten H. Christiansen (2019). Top-down information is more important in noisy situations: Exploring the role of pragmatic, semantic, and syntactic information in language processing . Center for Open Science.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  3. Ashley Robertson , David R. Simmons (2013). The Relationship between Sensory Sensitivity and Autistic Traits in the General Population . Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 43(4), 775-784. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  4. Micah Allen , Davide Poggiali , Kirstie Whitaker , Tom Rhys Marshall , Jordy van Langen , Rogier A. Kievit (2021). Raincloud plots: a multi-platform tool for robust data visualization . Wellcome Open Research, 4, 63. F1000 Research Ltd.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  5. Laura Foran Lewis (2017). A Mixed Methods Study of Barriers to Formal Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder in Adults . Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 47(8), 2410-2424. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  6. Janet K. Kern , Madhukar H. Trivedi , Carolyn R. Garver , Bruce D. Grannemann , Alonzo A. Andrews , Jayshree S. Savla et al. (2006). The pattern of sensory processing abnormalities in autism . Autism, 10(5), 480-494. SAGE Publications.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  7. American Psychiatric Association (2022). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders . American Psychiatric Association Publishing.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  8. Stuart Gatehouse , William Noble (2004). The Speech, Spatial and Qualities of Hearing Scale (SSQ) . International Journal of Audiology, 43(2), 85-99. Informa UK Limited.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  9. Nathalie Boddaert , Pascal Belin , Nadia Chabane , Jean-Baptiste Poline , Catherine Barthélémy , Marie-Christine Mouren-Simeoni et al. (2003). Perception of Complex Sounds: Abnormal Pattern of Cortical Activation in Autism . American Journal of Psychiatry, 160(11), 2057-2060. American Psychiatric Association Publishing.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  10. Eelke Visser , Marcel Zwiers , Cornelis C Kan , Liesbeth Hoekstra , John van Opstal , Jan K. Buitelaar (2013). Atypical vertical sound localization and sound-onset sensitivity in people with autism spectrum disorders . Journal of Psychiatry & Neuroscience, 38(6), 398-406. Canadian Science Publishing.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  11. Peter Bang , Kajsa Igelström (2026). Relationships Between Autistic Trait Dimensions and Speech Understanding, Affective Sound Intolerance, and Self-Reported Hearing Difficulties . Autism in Adulthood, 8(1), 90-101. SAGE Publications.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  12. Alexandra Sturrock , Hannah Guest , Graham Hanks , George Bendo , Christopher J Plack , Emma Gowen (2022). Chasing the conversation: Autistic experiences of speech perception . Autism & Developmental Language Impairments, 7, 23969415221077532-23969415221077532. SAGE Publications.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  13. Leslie D. Kwakye , Jennifer H. Foss‐Feig , Carissa J. Cascio , Wendy L. Stone , Mark T. Wallace (2011). Altered Auditory and Multisensory Temporal Processing in Autism Spectrum Disorders . Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience, 4, 129. Frontiers Media SA.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  14. Isabelle Verhulst , Keren MacLennan , Anthony Haffey , T. Tavassoli (2022). The Perceived Causal Relations Between Sensory Reactivity Differences and Anxiety Symptoms in Autistic Adults . Autism in Adulthood, 4(3), 183-192. SAGE Publications.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  15. Renate Bosman , Jochem Thijs (2024). Language Preferences in the Dutch Autism Community: A Social Psychological Approach . Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 54(5), 1727-1739. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  16. T. Tavassoli , Rosa A. Hoekstra , S. Baron-Cohen (2014). The Sensory Perception Quotient (SPQ): development and validation of a new sensory questionnaire for adults with and without autism . Molecular Autism, 5(1), 29. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  17. Jana Brinkert , Anna Remington (2020). Making sense of the perceptual capacities in autistic and non-autistic adults . Autism, 24(7), 1795-1804. SAGE Publications.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  18. Susan Leekam , Carmen Nieto , Sarah J. Libby , Lorna Wing , Judith Gould (2007). Describing the Sensory Abnormalities of Children and Adults with Autism . Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 37(5), 894-910. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  19. Riley Buijsman , Sander Begeer , Anke Scheeren (2023). ‘Autistic person’ or ‘person with autism’? Person-first language preference in Dutch adults with autism and parents . Autism, 27(3), 788-795. SAGE Publications.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  20. Elizabeth Pellicano (2013). Sensory Symptoms in Autism: A Blooming, Buzzing Confusion? Child Development Perspectives, 7(3), 143-148. Oxford University Press (OUP).
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  21. Simon M. Bury , Rachel Jellett , Jennifer R. Spoor , Darren Hedley (2023). “It Defines Who I Am” or “It’s Something I Have”: What Language Do [Autistic] Australian Adults [on the Autism Spectrum] Prefer? Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 53(2), 677-687. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  22. Laura Foran Lewis (2016). Exploring the Experience of Self-Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder in Adults . Archives of Psychiatric Nursing, 30(5), 575-580. Elsevier BV.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  23. Lillian N. Stiegler , Rebecca Davis (2010). Understanding Sound Sensitivity in Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders . Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 25(2), 67-75. SAGE Publications.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  24. Aaron R Caldwell (2022). Exploring Equivalence Testing with the Updated TOSTER R Package . Center for Open Science.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  25. Melissa D. Thye , Haley M. Bednarz , Abbey J. Herringshaw , Emma B. Sartin , Rajesh K. Kana (2018). The impact of atypical sensory processing on social impairments in autism spectrum disorder . Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, 29, 151-167. Elsevier BV.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  26. Gabriella R. Kellerman , Jin Fan , Jack M. Gorman (2005). Auditory Abnormalities in Autism: Toward Functional Distinctions Among Findings . CNS Spectrums, 10(9), 748-756. Cambridge University Press (CUP).
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  27. Robert Cowan , Aaran T. Lewis , Carina Hallberg , Michael C. F. Tong , Catherine S. Birman , Iris H.-Y. Ng et al. (2024). Clinical performance, safety, and patient-reported outcomes of an active osseointegrated bone-conduction hearing implant system at 24-month follow-up . European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, 281(2), 683-691. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  28. Jason Landon , Daniel Shepherd , Veema Lodhia (2016). A qualitative study of noise sensitivity in adults with autism spectrum disorder . Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 32, 43-52. Elsevier BV.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  29. John F. Culling , Michael A. Akeroyd (2010). Spatial hearing . Oxford University Press.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  30. Daniël Lakens (2017). Equivalence Tests . Social Psychological and Personality Science, 8(4), 355-362. SAGE Publications.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  31. Matthew de Broize , Kiah Evans , Andrew Whitehouse , John Wray , Valsamma Eapen , Anna Urbanowicz (2022). Exploring the Experience of Seeking an Autism Diagnosis as an Adult . Autism in Adulthood, 4(2), 130-140. SAGE Publications.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  32. Sue Fletcher-Watson (2024). What’s in a name? The costs and benefits of a formal autism diagnosis . Autism, 28(2), 257-262. SAGE Publications.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  33. Alexandra Sturm , Sijia Huang , Vanessa Bal , Ben Schwartzman (2024). Psychometric exploration of the RAADS-R with autistic adults: Implications for research and clinical practice . Autism, 28(9), 2334. SAGE Publications.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  34. Samata R. Sharma , Xenia Gonda , Frank I. Tarazi (2018). Autism Spectrum Disorder: Classification, diagnosis and therapy . Pharmacology & Therapeutics, 190, 91-104. Elsevier BV.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  35. Ana Margarida Gonçalves , Patricia Monteiro (2023). Autism Spectrum Disorder and auditory sensory alterations: a systematic review on the integrity of cognitive and neuronal functions related to auditory processing . Journal of Neural Transmission, 130(3), 325-408. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  36. Annie Moulin , Judith Vergne , Stéphane Gallego , Christophe Micheyl (2019). A New Speech, Spatial, and Qualities of Hearing Scale Short-Form: Factor, Cluster, and Comparative Analyses . Ear & Hearing, 40(4), 938-950. Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health).
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  37. Aine Harrold , Kim Keating , Fionnuala Larkin , Annalisa Setti (2024). The association between sensory processing and stress in the adult population: A systematic review . Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being, 16(4), 2536-2566. Wiley.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  38. Marte Myhrum , Mariann Gjervik Heldahl , Arne Kirkhorn Rødvik , Ole Edvard Tvete , Greg Eigner Jablonski (2024). Validation of the Norwegian Version of the Speech, Spatial and Qualities of Hearing Scale (SSQ) . Audiology and Neurotology, 29(2), 124-135. S. Karger AG.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  39. Stefanie Schelinski , Katharina von Kriegstein (2020). Brief Report: Speech-in-Noise Recognition and the Relation to Vocal Pitch Perception in Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Typical Development . Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 50(1), 356-363. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  40. Byurakn Ishkhanyan , Anders Højen , Riccardo Fusaroli , Christer Johansson , Kristian Tylén , Morten H. Christiansen (2019). Wait for it! Stronger influence of context on categorical perception in Danish than Norwegian . Center for Open Science.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  41. Keren MacLennan , Sarah O’Brien *Autistic author. Learn more… , T. Tavassoli (2022). In Our Own Words: The Complex Sensory Experiences of Autistic Adults . Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 52(7), 3061-3075. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    AutiHub · Autistic Autism Scholarship Project Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  42. Hadley Wickham (2016). ggplot2 . Springer International Publishing.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  43. Lenth R. (2025). Lenth R., Piaskowski J. (2025). emmeans: Estimated Marginal Means, aka Least-Squares Means. R package version 2. 0. 0. emmeans: Estimated Marginal Means, aka Least-Squares Means.
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  44. Gayle L. Overton , Ferran Marsà-Sambola , Rachael Martin , Penny Cavenagh (2024). Understanding the Self-identification of Autism in Adults: a Scoping Review . Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 11(4), 682-702. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  45. Lüdecke D. (2025). Lüdecke D. (2025). sjPlot: Data Visualization for Statistics in Social Science. R package version 2. 9. 0. sjPlot: Data Visualization for Statistics in Social Science.
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  46. Carly A. Yadon , Mary Vonarx (2024). Broad autism phenotype traits and self-reported sensory processing across sensory modalities . Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 113, 102359. Elsevier BV.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  47. Suyun Xu , Juan Fan , Hua Zhang , Minyue Zhang , Hang Zhao , Xiaoming Jiang et al. (2023). Hearing Assistive Technology Facilitates Sentence-in-Noise Recognition in Chinese Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder . Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 66(8), 2967-2987. American Speech Language Hearing Association.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  48. R Core Team (2024). R Core Team (2024). R: A Language and Environment for Statistical Computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing. R: A Language and Environment for Statistical Computing.
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  49. Ram K. (2023). Ram K., Wickham H. (2023). wesanderson: A Wes Anderson Palette Generator. R package version 0. 3. 7. wesanderson: A Wes Anderson Palette Generator.
    Type: Other
    Crossref