Noise and autism spectrum disorder in children: An exploratory survey

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2017.02.004Get rights and content

Abstract

Background

With more students being educated in schools for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) than ever before, architects and interior designers need to consider the environmental features that may be modified to enhance the academic and social success of autistic students in school.

Aim

This study explored existing empirical research on the impact of noise on children with ASD and provides recommendations regarding design features that can contribute to noise reduction.

Methods and procedures

A survey, which addressed the impact of architectural design elements on autism-related behavior, was developed for teachers of children with ASD and distributed to three schools.

Outcomes and results

Most teachers found noise control to be an important issue for students with autism and many observed children using ear defenders. In terms of managing issues related to noise, most teachers agreed that thick or soundproof walls and carpet in the classroom were the most important issues for children with ASD.

Conclusions

Suggested future research should address architectural considerations for building an acoustically friendly environment for children with autism, identifying patterns of problematic behaviors in response to acoustical features of the built environment of the classroom setting, and ways to manage maladaptive behaviors in acoustically unfriendly environments.

Section snippets

What this paper adds

This paper investigates how educators believe the acoustical environment can be modified to influence behavior of students with autism. Empirical evidence on how students with autism respond sensitively to lighting, sound, acoustics, tactile sensations, scents, and other environmental factors is highlighted, in addition to the relationship between sound and unwanted behaviors from caregivers’ perspectives.

The study demonstrates that noise pollution may be associated with children with ASD

Participants

Ninety-five teachers from three schools for children with moderate to high functioning ASD in Houston, Texas, were approached to participate in this study. The schools used as research sites were coded as: School 1, School 2, and School 3. Twenty-six out of 30 teachers at School 1 responded (87%), 25 out of 40 teachers at School 2 responded (65%), and 24 out of 25 teachers at School 3 responded (96%). In total 74 teachers completed surveys and the overall response rate for instructors across

Environmental factors

Nearly all (95.77%) of the teachers surveyed observed children covering their ears. Most teachers indicated they strongly agree that noise control is an important issue for children with autism (79%), followed by somewhat agree (14%), strongly disagree (4%), neither agree nor disagree (1%), and somewhat disagree (1%). A chi-square test of association was performed to test the several hypotheses, and a p-value of 0.01 rather than 0.05 was used to determine significance throughout to account for

Discussion

The main purpose of this survey was to receive input from teachers of children with ASD about the impact of noise pollution on disruptive behaviors. Overall, teachers were aware of changes in behavior in response to sensitivity to noise pollution. This aligns with past research which has shown that children with ASD often engage in behaviors that might intrude on learning to regulate the noise in their environment (Stiegler & Davis, 2010). For the specific behavior of covering ears, nearly all

Conclusion

Children with autism may demonstrate unique sensory profiles that influence the way they perceive and process different stimuli in the environment (Lane, Young, Baker, & Angley, 2010). However, few researchers have carefully examined the specific ways in which the acoustic environment of a facility may be modified to accommodate such unique sensory needs. Based on data from this study, the authors have proposed several areas of consideration for future research. By modifying the built

Conflict of interest

None.

Funding source

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

Financial disclosure

None.

References (44)

  • O. Bogdashina

    Sensory perceptual issues in autism and Asperger syndrome: Different sensory experiences – different perceptual worlds

    (2003)
  • P. Caldwell

    Finding you finding me: Using intensive interaction to get in touch with people whose severe learning disabilities are combined with autistic spectrum disorder

    (2006)
  • J. Case-Smith et al.

    A systematic review of sensory processing interventions for children with autism spectrum disorders

    Autism

    (2015)
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

    Prevalence of autism spectrum disorder among children aged 8 years

    (2014)
  • M.C. Chang et al.

    Autonomic and behavioral responses of children with autism to auditory stimuli

    American Journal of Occupational Therapy

    (2012)
  • D.M. Connolly et al.

    Adolescents' perceptions of their school's acoustic environment: The development of an evidence based questionnaire

    Noise and Health

    (2013)
  • C.C. Crandell et al.

    Classroom acoustics for children with normal hearing and with hearing impairment

    Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools

    (2000)
  • L. Goines et al.

    Noise pollution: A modern plague

    Southern Medical Journal

    (2007)
  • D. Halpern

    More than bricks and mortar? Mental health and the built environment

    (1995)
  • N. Kargas et al.

    The relationship between auditory processing and restricted, repetitive behaviors in adults with autism spectrum disorders

    Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders

    (2015)
  • M. Kinnealey et al.

    Effect of classroom modification on attention and engagement of students with autism of dyspraxia

    American Journal of Occupational Therapy

    (2012)
  • A.E. Lane et al.

    Sensory processing subtypes in autism: Association with adaptive behavior

    Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders

    (2010)
  • Cited by (49)

    • Saving lives by saving energy? Examining the health benefits of energy efficiency in multifamily buildings in the United States

      2023, Building and Environment
      Citation Excerpt :

      A direct result can be improvements in rest and sleep [98–100]. We hypothesize that reductions in noise might also benefit those who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) [101], autism spectrum disorders [102–104], and hearing impairment [105,106]. Synergistic impacts on mental health – Improvements in IAQ, ITC, and reductions in the infiltration of outdoor noise can improve rest and sleep, which can then lead to improvements in mental health [107–112].

    View all citing articles on Scopus
    View full text