My Noise Sensitivities With Common Sounds

Table of Contents

Table

Results Summary

Noise sensitivities are common for people with autism. I created a table of common sounds and rated how much these noises trigger me as a person with autism. One means it doesn't faze me at all, while 10 means it scares me to the point of feeling sick.

Table

​Noise	Rating (Out of 10)
​Fire alarm	9
Alarm clock	7
Barking dog	6
Loud object dropping on ground	5
​Game buzzer	4
​A crowd screaming "Surprise"	​4
​People angrily yelling	8
​Appliances	​3
Hot tub pumps	​2
​School bell	3
People walking on floor above me	2
Elevator noises	2
Zoo/farm animal noises	​4
​Smoke detector	8
Coughing	5
Thunder	9
Wind	​4
Rain	3
Birds	2
​Louder than normal music	​4

Results Summary

Loud noises such as alarms and thunder will trigger me, especially if they occur unexpectedly. More peaceful noises such as birds, rain or elevator noises do not make me feel uncomfortable. My sensitivity to noises that are unexpected or occur from relatively unpredictable sources or reasons, tend to make me feel at ease the least.

I recall being a tad sensitive to the school bell when I first started school, and alarm clocks did make me feel unsettled, but I'm not as sensitive to these noises now.

One exception I'll make for the "people walking on floor above me", which I rated as two, is if I thought I was home alone and there were people walking upstairs, it may startle me a little.

As a whole, I find myself to be more sensitive to noises than the average person. Certain noises don't just bother me, they can make me feel frightened or even a tad ill. I'm better at this now compared to when I was younger, however.

On a scale of 1-10, how uncomfortable or comfortable are you with the above noises?

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