Parents' perception of auditory hypersensitivity in children with clinical signs of risk for Autism Spectrum Disorder 1

ABSTRACT

Conclusion: Auditory hypersensitivity was observed, especially related to irritability, which suggests a relationship with the limbic system and, therefore, may refer to misophonia. [...]it is important for the multidisciplinary team to pay attention to the occurrence and characteristics of hypersensitivity in this population, in order to maximize favorable conditions for rehabilitation. Specifically in relation to auditory sensory alterations, previous studies showed wide variability in prevalence, with results from 15% to 100% (Khalfa et al., 2004;Gomes et al., 2008;Bhatara et al., 2013;Danesh et al., 2015). [...]auditory hypersensitivity is configured as an abnormal perception of sound, which can impact different everyday situations, such as social and leisure activities (Aazh et al., 2016). [...]data is important to understand how this change occurs, as well as to provide parents and caregivers with intervention strategies and better quality of life. [...]having as references studies that showed changes in the limbic system, related to emotions, in children with ASD (Haznedar et al., 2000;Stigler et al., 2011), the hypothesis listed is that parents perceive behaviors of Misophonia-type auditory hypersensitivity, with irritability to specific sounds and consequent impact on daily life situations. Additionally, we hypothesized that, during the period of social isolation resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, such behaviors could be minimized, since children possibly stayed longer in controlled environments and had less exposure to outdoor environments. [...]considering that hearing is one of the sensory inputs of the human body, essential for the development of oral language, this study aimed to investigate the occurrence and type of auditory hypersensitivity in children with clinical signs of ASD through the report of the parents in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.