Autistic people’s sensory sensitivities are not “phobias.”
We are not “afraid” of loud noises, etc. for some irrational reason.
We become distressed by those things because they are causing us physical pain and overstimulation.
Let us wear ear defenders and earplugs!!
We are not “afraid” of loud noises, etc. for some irrational reason.
We become distressed by those things because they are causing us physical pain and overstimulation.
Let us wear ear defenders and earplugs!!
@AnnMemmott posted a thread today about a study (link.springer.com/article/10.100…) where an autistic boy’s auditory hypersensitivity was treated as though it was a phobia.
Very unsurprisingly, the “coping skill” he chose the most was the use of earplugs.
I wonder why? 🙄 /s
Very unsurprisingly, the “coping skill” he chose the most was the use of earplugs.
I wonder why? 🙄 /s
Autistic people are “afraid” of loud noises in the same way that everyone is “afraid” of falling face-first into a cactus.
It’s not hard to understand at all.
When we’re exposed to loud noises we experience significant distress, and then we exhibit signs of distress.
It’s not hard to understand at all.
When we’re exposed to loud noises we experience significant distress, and then we exhibit signs of distress.
The boy in the study had an elevated heart rate and would self-injure and become aggressive towards others when exposed to loud, unpleasant noises.
Obviously, those behaviors indicate distress that would go away if the sound was mitigated by tools like earplugs or headphones.
Obviously, those behaviors indicate distress that would go away if the sound was mitigated by tools like earplugs or headphones.
Yet somehow this was not obvious to the authors of the study, who instead framed the boy’s understandable distress responses as “problem behavior” as a result of a “specific phobia” of sound.
It really baffles me how much willful ignorance there is in this paper.
It really baffles me how much willful ignorance there is in this paper.
Some “coping strategies” suggested by the therapists involved were squeezing a stress ball, drinking water, and looking at pleasant pictures.
But of course the ones the boy chose the most were access to earplugs, and singing a song (to block out some of the other noise).
But of course the ones the boy chose the most were access to earplugs, and singing a song (to block out some of the other noise).
This isn’t hard, people.
You don’t need to devote excessive amounts of time and money to writing studies like this.
Literally all you have to do is dip your toes into the writing of the autistic community.
With minimal effort you will learn about things that help us.
You don’t need to devote excessive amounts of time and money to writing studies like this.
Literally all you have to do is dip your toes into the writing of the autistic community.
With minimal effort you will learn about things that help us.
I wear ear defenders or earplugs (depends on which one is most easily available) when I’m exposed to loud noises.
This is not a form of “escape” that will prevent me from being desensitized to my “phobia.”
It’s the most sensible, helpful response to the situation.
This is not a form of “escape” that will prevent me from being desensitized to my “phobia.”
It’s the most sensible, helpful response to the situation.
It really irritates me how many baseless assumptions are made about autistic people in studies about us.
Non-autistic authors can just make stuff up without consulting autistic people on our experiences, and then that made-up stuff ends up in published papers.
It’s absurd.
Non-autistic authors can just make stuff up without consulting autistic people on our experiences, and then that made-up stuff ends up in published papers.
It’s absurd.
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