Article: Rats with bad hearing trained to filter noise

[Guest guest]

..... well now there's hope for folks with hearing difficulties like

mine. <smile!> Many folks on the spectrum have auditory processing challenges.

- Helen

Rats with bad hearing trained to filter noise

Reuters

December 15, 2008 at 10:28 AM EST

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081215.wratshear1215/BNStor\

y/Science/home

[Guest guest]

Hearing difficulties? Not half - Ian cannot hear the same sounds as many people, yet he can hear sounds I can't. Noise can be upsetting for him, especially high pitched. (See previous post about shopping malls and children....)

I didnt realise it was a trait as such, this is interesting, thanks Helen!

Judy B, Scotland

Subject: Article: Rats with bad hearing trained to filter noiseTo: Aspires-relationships Date: Tuesday, 16 December, 2008, 1:34 AM

..... well now there's hope for folks with hearing difficulties like mine. <smile!> Many folks on the spectrum have auditory processing challenges.- HelenRats with bad hearing trained to filter noiseReutersDecember 15, 2008 at 10:28 AM ESThttp://www.theglobe andmail.com/ servlet/story/ RTGAM.20081215. wratshear1215/ BNStory/Science/ home

[Guest guest]

Hi Judy,

I also have tinnitus (hearing damage, I have a permanent humming

noise in my right ear) tho that is neither here nor there as far as

spectrum issues go. Well maybe a bit, since folks with sensitive

hearing are more prone to hearing damage.

Yes, it seems like a paradox that folks on the spectrum can have both

- sensitive hearing AND auditory processing difficulties at the same

time. But it's true. We can not filter out background noise - that's

the problem.

Here is one of many internet references to spectrum issues and CAPD

(central auditory processing disorder) ... this is from Amanada Bagg's site:

http://www.autistics.org/library/capd.html

Here is an article (at a neurodiversity site) about super sensitive

hearing in the autistic. This one is interesting as it also addresses

other sensory differences in spectrum people, such as " synethesia. "

http://www.creative-minds.info/index_files/APD.htm

and here's another article about auditory processing and autism by

Edelson

http://www.autism.com/families/therapy/auditory.htm

If you " Google " " auditory processing " or " sensitive hearing " with the

word " autism " or " Asperger " you will find a lot more information. A

lot of it is directed at parents, which is why I gave you 's

site first .. she is an adult with autism.)

- Helen

At 11:34 AM 12/16/2008, you wrote:

>Hearing difficulties? Not half - Ian cannot hear the same sounds as

>many people, yet he can hear sounds I can't. Noise can be upsetting

>for him, especially high pitched. (See previous post about shopping

>malls and children....)

>

>I didnt realise it was a trait as such, this is interesting, thanks Helen!

>

>Judy B, Scotland

[Guest guest]

This is so-----o interesting. Usarian has been

talking about his tinnitus getting worse lately. He days that the

ringing never stops and is actually drowning out everything else. He

also

talks about sounds "hurting" his ears, my son (AS) does as well.

Noise is actually a bigger problem for than it is Usarian.

is

guaranteed to melt down over many sounds (like the heat pump/AC unit drives

him

bonkers). I always attributed their hyper sensitivity to sound but I

did

not realize that other AS actually experienced physical pain from

sound.

Also the tinnitus bit is also interesting. Knowing that he is probably

more prone to it, I wonder what I can do now to protect 's ears and

hearing

so that he does not have to experience the sheer torture that his Daddy

does?

e

From: Helen Foisy

Sent: Tuesday, December 16, 2008 9:39 PM

To: aspires-relationships@ya

hoogroups.com

Subject: Re: Article: Rats with bad

hearing

trained to filter noise

Hi Judy,I also have tinnitus (hearing damage, I have a permanent

humming

noise in my right ear) tho that is neither here nor there as far as

spectrum issues go. Well maybe a bit, since folks with sensitive

hearing

are more prone to hearing damage.Yes, it seems like a paradox that

folks

on the spectrum can have both - sensitive hearing AND auditory

processing

difficulties at the same time. But it's true. We can not filter out

background noise - that's the problem.Here is one of many

internet

references to spectrum issues and CAPD (central auditory processing

disorder) ... this is from Amanada Bagg's site:http://www.autistics.

org/library/capd.htmlHere

is an article (at a neurodiversity site) about super sensitive hearing

in

the autistic. This one is interesting as it also addresses other sensory

differences in spectrum people, such as "synethesia."http://www.creativ

e-minds.info/index_files/APD.htmand

here's another article about auditory processing and autism by

Edelsonhttp://www.autism

..com/families/therapy/auditory.htmIf

you "Google" "auditory processing" or "sensitive hearing" with the word

"autism" or "Asperger" you will find a lot more information. A lot of it

is

directed at parents, which is why I gave you 's site first .. she

is

an adult with autism.)- HelenAt 11:34 AM 12/16/2008, you

wrote:>Hearing difficulties? Not half - Ian cannot hear the same

sounds as >many people, yet he can hear sounds I can't. Noise can be

upsetting >for him, especially high pitched. (See previous post about

shopping >malls and children....)>>I didnt realise

it

was a trait as such, this is interesting, thanks Helen!>>Judy

B,

Scotland

[Guest guest]

Hi, I've been following this discussion on 'hearing'. My husband

reacts like it is painful to hear high pitiched noise, whether is a

soprano woman's voice or artificial noise. He hates going places

where there are lots of people talking. At home he plays music very

loud, and has subwoofers to bring the bass tones up really high, and

he turns treble down as low as it will go. He plays music ALL the

time, and very loudly. It drives me nuts as I crave 'quiet' where I

can hear all the natural sounds around me. Its really a sad state of

affairs when I need to be away from his world and he needs be away

from mine since we live together in a small home. I have

experienced continuing hearing loss since I've married Rich. Does

anyone know if the playing of loud music is a common thing and if the

person does it to overcome all the other sounds that bother them?

Verleen

>

> This is so-----o interesting. Usarian has been talking about his

tinnitus

> getting worse lately. He days that the ringing never stops and is

actually

> drowning out everything else. He also talks about sounds " hurting "

his

> ears, my son (AS) does as well. Noise is actually a bigger

problem for

> than it is Usarian. is guaranteed to melt down over many

sounds

> (like the heat pump/AC unit drives him bonkers). I always

attributed their

> hyper sensitivity to sound but I did not realize that other AS

actually

> experienced physical pain from sound. Also the tinnitus bit is

also

> interesting. Knowing that he is probably more prone to it, I

wonder what I

> can do now to protect 's ears and hearing so that he does not

have to

> experience the sheer torture that his Daddy does?

> e

>

[Guest guest]

Many thanks indeed, Helen

Judy B>Hearing difficulties? Not half - Ian cannot hear the same sounds as >many people, yet he can hear sounds I can't. Noise can be upsetting >for him, especially high

pitched. (See previous post about shopping >malls and children.... )>>I didnt realise it was a trait as such, this is interesting, thanks Helen!>>Judy B, Scotland

[Guest guest]

Usarian does the same thing. He loves to turn

the

bass all the way up and the treble down. He does not play music any

where

near as loudly as he once did. The only reason for this change is that

our oldest is extremely sensitive to all sound.

The strange thing is that all though the cacophony of

noise with the music does not bother him (Usarian), the simplest background

noise, that I can not hear, will drive him completely insane. He

especially has trouble with high pitched sounds. Lately though his

tinnitus has been getting worse and all sounds seem to bother him. He

says

the threshold of noise in his head with all the ringing makes everything

else

that much more annoying.

e

From: Verleen

Sent: Wednesday, December 17, 2008 9:10 AM

To: aspires-relationships@ya

hoogroups.com

Subject: Re: Article: Rats with bad

hearing

trained to filter noise

Hi, I've been following this discussion on 'hearing'. My husband

reacts

like it is painful to hear high pitiched noise, whether is a soprano

woman's

voice or artificial noise. He hates going places where there are lots of

people talking. At home he plays music very loud, and has subwoofers to

bring the bass tones up really high, and he turns treble down as low as

it

will go. He plays music ALL the time, and very loudly. It drives me nuts

as

I crave 'quiet' where I can hear all the natural sounds around me. Its

really a sad state of affairs when I need to be away from his world and

he

needs be away from mine since we live together in a small home. I have

experienced continuing hearing loss since I've married Rich. Does

anyone

know if the playing of loud music is a common thing and if the person

does

it to overcome all the other sounds that bother them? Verleen---

In

aspires-relationships ,

"Usarian" wrote:>> This is

so-----o

interesting. Usarian has been talking about his tinnitus >

getting

worse lately. He days that the ringing never stops and is actually

>

drowning out everything else. He also talks about sounds "hurting" his

> ears, my son (AS) does as well. Noise is actually a bigger

problem for > than it is Usarian. is guaranteed to melt

down over many sounds > (like the heat pump/AC unit drives him

bonkers). I always attributed their > hyper sensitivity to sound

but

I did not realize that other AS actually > experienced physical

pain

from sound. Also the tinnitus bit is also > interesting. Knowing

that

he is probably more prone to it, I wonder what I > can do now to

protect 's ears and hearing so that he does not have to >

experience the sheer torture that his Daddy does?> e>

[Guest guest]

Usarian wrote:

> Usarian does the same thing. He loves to turn the bass all the way up

> and the treble down. He does not play music any where near as loudly as

> he once did. The only reason for this change is that our oldest is

> extremely sensitive to all sound.

> The strange thing is that all though the cacophony of noise with the

> music does not bother him (Usarian), the simplest background noise, that

> I can not hear, will drive him completely insane. He especially has

> trouble with high pitched sounds. Lately though his tinnitus has been

> getting worse and all sounds seem to bother him. He says the threshold

> of noise in his head with all the ringing makes everything else that

> much more annoying.

> e

I've had right-sided tinnitus all my life. There were times when I was

very young that I nearly couldn't function because of it. Fortunately I

learned to " tune it out " , ...to " hear over it " , and get on with my life.

But it's still there even now. If I focus my mind I can hear it.

And it's still only right-sided - nothing amiss in my left ear.

> *From:* Verleen

> *Sent:* Wednesday, December 17, 2008 9:10 AM

> *To:* aspires-relationships@ya hoogroups.com

> <mailto:aspires-relationships >

> *Subject:* Re: Article: Rats with bad hearing

> trained to filter noise

>

> Hi, I've been following this discussion on 'hearing'. My husband

> reacts like it is painful to hear high pitiched noise, whether is a

> soprano woman's voice or artificial noise. He hates going places

> where there are lots of people talking.

All my life I've been annoyed by *most* very loud sound, though it's

only certain of the higher frequencies that cause pain.

And it is _real pain_. Certain soprano voices, clattery dishes in

restaurant kitchens, metal striking ceramic tile, certain jet engines,

leaf-blowers, ...all that and more are *excruciating* to me. Taken by

surprise, it's a lot like being jabbed with a sharp object: I'll wince

and/or " jump " away from the source.

Because of that sensitivity (pain!) I won't " go out " any more to

venues I know will be painful - no matter how important the occasion.

One example: A local civic club hosts a noon luncheon & lecture every

Friday in the lovely Berkeley City Club. An official Historic Place

with *lots* of charm, it was designed by the famous , and is

very popular for such events.

My wife and I are Club members, and joined largely because of the

lectures.

BUT its walls are unadorned concrete, floors hardwood, and so the

rooms acoustically are *very* " live " . High frequency sound (tableware,

plates, dishes, ...women's voices) seem even to be amplified.

I just *die* in the place! After trying many times, even with earplugs

and electronic aids, I no longer attend. My wife isn't bothered by the

acoustics, so goes alone.

One of the little strains on marriage both of us believe arises from

me being AS.

> At home he plays music very

> loud, and has subwoofers to bring the bass tones up really high, and

> he turns treble down as low as it will go. He plays music ALL the

> time, and very loudly. It drives me nuts as I crave 'quiet' where I

> can hear all the natural sounds around me. Its really a sad state of

> affairs when I need to be away from his world and he needs be away

> from mine since we live together in a small home. I have

> experienced continuing hearing loss since I've married Rich. Does

> anyone know if the playing of loud music is a common thing and if the

> person does it to overcome all the other sounds that bother them?

> Verleen

I really, really hate loud music! Rock concerts drive me right up the

wall. ...And right out of the " venue " .

>

>

> >

> > This is so-----o interesting. Usarian has been talking about his

> >tinnitus getting worse lately. He days that the ringing never stops and is

> >actually drowning out everything else. He also talks about sounds " hurting "

> >his ears, my son (AS) does as well. Noise is actually a bigger

> >problem for than it is Usarian. is guaranteed to melt down over

many

> >sounds (like the heat pump/AC unit drives him bonkers). I always

> >attributed their hyper sensitivity to sound but I did not realize that other

AS

> >actually experienced physical pain from sound. Also the tinnitus bit is

> >also interesting. Knowing that he is probably more prone to it, I

> >wonder what I can do now to protect 's ears and hearing so that he does

not

> >have to experience the sheer torture that his Daddy does?

> > e

Tinnitus is internal to oneself. Earmuffs and the like do nothing.

More like an auditory analog of " phantom limb " syndrome, " ...it's all in

your head " . And very real nonetheless!

For me it's actually *more* evident, and annoying, the quieter my

surround. Low-volume " white noise " , or quiet " natural " sounds

(seashore, etc) often are able to mask my tinnitus. I used those a lot

in college as a study aid.

Interestingly I'm often *more* " alert " (?) to the presence of some sound

that others don't seem to hear at all. That's life-long too, and

persists *despite* my sge-related high-frequency decline.

More later ...on visual sensitivity.

- Bill, older, dx AS

--

WD " Bill " Loughman - Berkeley, California USA

http://home.earthlink.net/~wdloughman/wdl.htm

[Guest guest]

At 08:36 AM 12/17/2008, e wrote:

><snipped> Also the tinnitus bit is also interesting. Knowing that

>he is probably more prone to it, I wonder what I can do now to

>protect 's ears and hearing so that he does not have to

>experience the sheer torture that his Daddy does?

Hi e,

Others have already weighed in on this subject so I'll just speak to

the above question ..... Discourage him from using headsets to listen

to MP3's etc. Most hearing damage in young people occurs that way ...

they play the music way too loud. Also avoid live rock concerts ..

ALL have the volume turned up way too loud. People with sensitive

hearing are more prone to hearing damage and tinnitus (something else

you can google for more info. and tips on prevention.) I would

suspect that your son already avoids loud music, but this is a word

to the wise. I wear ear-plugs when I chaperone dances, to prevent

further damage.

- Helen

[Guest guest]

We pretty much always have hearing protection on

him. He just can't function without it. The normal level of

noise

bothers him to such an extent that he does not participate in many school

activities (ie music class, plays, assemblies, etc). It actually seems

that his sensitivities are getting worse the older he gets. When he

was a

baby we would have to cover his buggy with a blanket to bring him anywhere

in

public. The lights and noise bothered him so much. But then he

seemed to start to adapt until about age 5. Since he has been

regressing

more toward the first extreme. Lights are also a source of hyper

sensitivity but no where near as much as sound. For , our AU son,

the

situation is flipped. He is so sensitive to light that in the morning

the

light coming through the closed blinds makes him cry. He has a higher

threshold for sound though. Interesting stuff.

e

From: Helen Foisy

Sent: Wednesday, December 17, 2008 5:46 PM

To: aspires-relationships@ya

hoogroups.com

Subject: Re: Article: Rats with bad

hearing

trained to filter noise

At 08:36 AM 12/17/2008, e wrote:><snipped> Also the

tinnitus bit is also interesting. Knowing that >he is probably more

prone

to it, I wonder what I can do now to >protect 's ears and hearing

so

that he does not have to >experience the sheer torture that his Daddy

does?Hi e,Others have already weighed in on this subject

so

I'll just speak to the above question ..... Discourage him from using

headsets to listen to MP3's etc. Most hearing damage in young people

occurs

that way ... they play the music way too loud. Also avoid live rock

concerts

... ALL have the volume turned up way too loud. People with sensitive

hearing are more prone to hearing damage and tinnitus (something else

you can google for more info. and tips on prevention.) I would

suspect

that your son already avoids loud music, but this is a word to the wise.

I

wear ear-plugs when I chaperone dances, to prevent further damage.-

Helen