Authors: Matheus Phellipe Santos Felix da Silva¹, Ana Cristina de Albuquerque Montenegro¹, Francyelle de Lima Medina¹, Luciana Pimentel Fernandes de Melo¹, Joseane Ramos Duarte Soares², Wanderson dos Santos Souza², OsÃris LuÃs da Cunha Fernandes², Glauber Pereira de Carvalho Santos²
¹Federal University of Pernambuco
²Pernambuco Institute of Technology Association
Introduction: Hearing changes such as hyperacusis and misophonia stand out among the common sensory manifestations in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Environmental noise pollution poses a significant challenge in this context, possibly aggravating sensory reactions and affecting quality of life. This study aimed to identify the types of urban noise that cause auditory hypersensitivity in children and adolescents with ASD in the Metropolitan Region of Recife, based on their families’ reports.
Methods: Cross-sectional quantitative study approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the Federal University of Pernambuco, Brazil, under no. 57439722.3.0000.5208. The sample comprised 149 guardians of children and adolescents with ASD aged 1 to 19 years, residing in the Metropolitan Region of Recife. The sample size was defined with 95% reliability and an 8% maximum error, considering 2010 data from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) and 2014 APA estimates. Families whose children had hearing, visual, or intellectual disabilities, cerebral palsy, or schizophrenia were excluded. An online 33-item questionnaire addressed the social profile of family members, identification of children/adolescents with ASD, and their auditory hypersensitivity to urban noise. The data were entered into a spreadsheet, analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively, and presented through descriptive statistics.
Results: Most of the sample were parents of boys with mild or moderate ASD. The most reported auditory sensitivity was to domestic noise (49.6%), fireworks (46.3%), construction (41.6%), traffic (34.8%), and mechanical workshops (32.2%). The most frequent reaction was putting their hands over their ears (63.7%), followed by running away (38.7%), crying and screaming (36.2%), and increased repetitive movements (26.8%), leading parents to adopt strategies such as moving away from the location, distracting the children, and comforting them; hearing protection devices were rarely used. Few families reported noise pollution to the authorities or moved to a different house. The noisy urban environment was a relevant factor, with 67.7% of participants living in noisy neighborhoods.
Conclusion: Children and adolescents with ASD have auditory sensitivity, and noise pollution is a factor of social exclusion and suffering for them.