Development of hybrid active noise cancellation system for the children with autism spectrum disorder

Children with autism spectrum disorder often experience auditory hyperreactivity, where they find certain sounds intolerable and may exhibit negative behaviours in response to noise. While noise-cancelling headphones are commonly used to address these behavioural issues, they primarily focus on reducing noise levels without considering the diverse auditory perceptions of children with autism. Aural perception and electroencephalography tests were conducted to design a noise-control function in headphones that cater to their individual needs. Autistic children with auditory hyperreactivity listened to sounds of various frequencies and amplitudes and their subjective responses were analyzed. The results were utilized to determine suitable noise-attenuation targets based on a function of mean aural perception ratings and noise levels. Using these findings, a hybrid active noise cancellation system was developed and validated. The results showed that frequencies of 250 Hz and 8 kHz were rated by the majority of the children with autism as most unpleasant. The aural perception response improved when children used headsets tailored to their specific aural perception characteristics.