Intervention technology of aural perception controllable headset for children with autism spectrum disorder

Abstract

This study explored aural perception in children with autism using an aural perception test and electrophysiological responses to sound stimuli. The results demonstrated unique responses to sound stimuli at different sound intensity levels, emphasising the need for customised noise-control strategies targeting specific troublesome frequencies. To address this issue, headset intervention technology with a hybrid active noise control system integrated with an aural perception controlling function was developed for children with autism with distinct auditory perception based on their psychoacoustic characteristics. The results showed that the noise-control strategy was effective in mitigating unpleasant feelings and reducing the loudness and sharpness of daily stimuli. The proposed aural perception controllable headset can minimise noise, leading to a noticeable reduction in the magnitude of the auditory evoked potential at the midline central brain region for children with autism exposed to certain sounds, such as heavy vehicles and thunder, providing a more pleasant aural perception. A diminished auditory evoked potential response was associated with lower annoyance and pleasant aural perception. This study suggests that the proposed aural-perception-based noise-control method has the potential to alleviate behaviours related to auditory hyperreactivity in children with autism.