Assessment of auditory hypersensitivity in children and adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder: integrative review

Introduction: Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder may present impairments in communication, behavior, social interaction and changes in sensory processing with atypical responses to information from the senses, such as auditory hypersensitivity. Objective: to describe the methods of evaluating auditory hypersensitivity used in babies, children and/or adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder, through an integrative review. Data Synthesis: The study was carried out with the PVO strategy, in the months of October and November 2023, with the search key: “Infant” OR “Child” OR “Adolescent” AND “Autism Spectrum Disorder” AND “Hyperacusis” OR “ Hyperacuses” OR "Hearing” in 11 databases. Results: 7,071 studies were identified, after reading titles and abstracts, 59 were selected, 30 of which were duplicates and 29 were read in full. In the end, 10 articles were included. The majority of studies carried out audiological exams followed by a questionnaire, with the Sensory Profile questionnaire being the most common and the Otoacoustic Emissions, Brainstem Auditory Evoked Potential and Immittance Tests being the most common. The sounds that cause the most discomfort are: sounds of strong intensity in general, such as, vacuum cleaner and hairdryer. The most common emotional reaction was crying and physical reactions, covering the ears and running away. Conclusion: It was noticed that the majority of studies reported in this review demonstrate that for the investigation of auditory hypersensitivity, it can be both questionnaires and hearing exams were used in children and adolescents with auditory hypersensitivity, making it necessary to carry out more studies on the subject to standardize an assessment for auditory hypersensitivity.