“I shape my world around my sensitivities”: Auditory environments and sound sensitivity in intermittently-/non-speaking autistic adults

Auditory environments shape autistic people’s everyday experiences and quality of life (QoL). However, existing literature tends to characterize these experiences primarily as ‘hypersensitivity’, lacking nuance in how everyday auditory environments shape lived experience. Studies focusing on the experiences of autistic people who are intermittently-/non-speaking are also scarce. This study examined auditory experiences in the presence or absence of competing background noise, operationalized through noisy and quiet everyday environments, among intermittently-/non-speaking and speaking autistic adults. 419 autistic adults (Mage=32.2 yrs, SDage=11.3) completed an online survey including a bespoke questionnaire on everyday sound experiences and a sound-related QoL measure. Of these participants, 383 (91%) predominantly used speech while 36 (9%) were intermittently-/non-speaking. Open-text responses from intermittently-/non-speaking participants were analyzed using content analysis. Statistical analyses revealed that intermittently-/non-speaking participants reported greater sound-related impacts on QoL, greater difficulty in quiet environments, and elevated pain hyperacusis compared with speaking participants. Content analysis contextualized these findings: participants often sought predictable environments to support regulation. Adaptive strategies, including selective withdrawal, preparation, and environmental modification, were framed as proactive self-regulation. Together, the findings position sensory accessibility as an environmental design consideration rather than an individual burden, while centering autonomy in managing auditory input to foster inclusion and wellbeing.