MaskSound: Exploring Sound Masking Approaches to Support People with Autism in Managing Noise Sensitivity

Noise sensitivity is a frequently reported characteristic in many autistic individuals. While strategies like sound isolation (e.g., noise-canceling headphones) and avoidance behaviors (e.g., leaving a crowded room) can help, they can reduce situational awareness and limit social engagement. In this paper, we examine an alternate approach to managing noise sensitivity: introducing ambient background sounds to reduce the perception of disruptive noises, i.e., sound masking. Through two studies (with ten and nine autistic individuals respectively), we investigated the autistic individuals’ preferred sound masks (e.g., white noise, brown noise, calming water sounds) for different contexts (e.g., traffic, speech) and elicited reactions for a future interactive tool to deliver effective sound masks. Our findings have implications not just for the accessibility community, but also for designers and researchers working on sound augmentation technology.