A customized approach to hybrid active noise cancellation system design to address auditory hyperreactivity for children with autism spectrum disorder

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder often exhibit heightened sensitivity to certain sounds, which is known as auditory hyperreactivity. This can manifest in aversive behaviors when these children encounter particular noises in their daily lives. To address this challenge, noise-cancelling headphones are frequently employed. However, traditional headphone designs primarily focus on simply reducing overall noise levels, without accounting for the heterogeneous and nuanced aural perceptions exhibited by autistic children. To develop a more tailored noise-control solution, a series of behavioral and electroencephalography tests were conducted to analyze the auditory responses. Participants were exposed to sounds of various frequencies and amplitudes, and their subjective perceptions were analyzed and processed to establish appropriate noise-attenuation targets, based on a function that considered both the average aural perception ratings and the corresponding noise levels. Building upon these results, a hybrid active noise cancellation system that caters to the individual auditory needs of autistic children was designed and tested. When using the customized headsets, the children's aural perception responses showed marked improvement.