Is this an autism related sensory issue?

[Batmansbrotherspidey]

An aspect of social interaction which had been bothering me from childhood is that I don't listen to things properly or atleast can't fully interpret things even if I'm listening well. I've always had this weird habit of repeating movie dialogues in unrelated contexts as a kid. But most of these are actually incorrect because that's how I've heard them. I usually fail to correctly interpret the nuances in sound even if I've heard it but it comes naturally to other people. I misinterpret and mis-hear things all the time. I also have this immense fascination for songs and I also do auditory related stimming a little because I have this urge to run and jump around whenever hearing songs and I do it very intensely. Since it's a bit odd, I've to do it in secrecy though. So online when I come across questions like "do you hear sounds which others don't?" when checking something autism related, well I've the exact opposite problem!! I don't hear things that people normally hear. This is an issue especially in socially interaction. Normally I've trouble paying attention to the conversation itself especially if I'm not interested but even when I'm paying attention they've to repeat what they said because for some reason I didn't understand what they said lol!! It's always been like this!

 

[mw2530]

Yes, very common with autism - auditory processing disorder. My ears work just fine, but my brain has trouble processing the words I am hearing and and giving them meaning. It comes in all jumbled and I miss bits and pieces or I get stuck on one word or sentence and then don't hear the whole message so then I don't respond appropriately. Much worse symptoms when I am bored or if I am overly stressed.

I can process written words much better. But I think auditory processing disorder is similar to if you are ever reading something and you get to the end of the page and you realize you don't even know what you read. So it is really, a lack of comprehension.

Also, I think auditory processing contributes to difficulty with speech. If you can't read, you generally can't write. If you can't hear, you generally can't speak. So if hearing is a struggle, it makes speaking much more difficult.

Those are my thoughts on the matter. If more articles of autism explained it as simply as I did in the couple of sentences above, I think it would enlighten a lot of people who don't understand autism. IMAO.

 

[Neonatal RRT]

Yes.

My wife: Going on some long explanation of what she wants or describing a situation. Me: At the end of all that she said. Staring at her with a confused look. "What?"

I had a situation at work yesterday like this. This nurse and I went back and forth about 4 different times, still not understanding each other, then finally, asking the same question in a different way, we understood each other.

 

[Peter Morrison]

It took me a long time to realize that I wasn't always paying close attention to anything unless I was deeply interested. Later in life, I realized that I was allowing thoughts and sounds to distract me. In text books, I had to re-read paragraphs because I couldn't understand the point to the text. All of it was my fault. I didn't understand that it was possible to focus heavily on the message by ignoring outside stimuli. I'm still subject to voices and sounds that interrupt my concentration. My only choice was to re-read the parts that blew away with the interruption. Maintaining concentration and focus takes a lot of practice. Even without an interruption, my mind can just start to wander. In grammar school I was accused of day-dreaming. I had lost focus. It became my own problem to fix. I have had to utilize a lot of energy to remain focused. I still suffer from "day-dreaming". It can be frustrating for me, but I try my best to have the environment that I know will minimize the distractions. I have improved, but I am still not very good at it. I have to re-read often. That makes me a slow reader. I haven't given up.

 

[Neonatal RRT]

In text books, I had to re-read paragraphs because I couldn't understand the point to the text. I have to re-read often. That makes me a slow reader. I haven't given up.

My wife can sit and read text from a computer screen. She reads about 2 novels a week on her tablet.

Me: I don't read fiction, but I do read a LOT of scientific journal articles. I typically print them off and use a highlighter. My wife gets irritated with all the stacks of journal articles lying around. "Why are you wasting paper and ink? Read them on the computer!" No. Got to have something in my hand and a highlighter handy. "Why are you buying books? Read them on the computer!" No. Same reasons. My brain doesn't operate like that. With a highlighter handy, I tend to concentrate on the key points. It helps my focus. Otherwise, like you said, the mind begins to wander. The next thing I know, I will have "read" 4-6 pages and not retained a single word.

 

[vergil96]

My ears work fine, but I can't hear what other people are saying clearly regardless, that's also auditory processing disorder apparently. I read faster than most people, it seems, everything is fine with my eyesight. I thought I'm partially deaf most of my life. I don't experience any of the difficulties with focus. Unless the rest of the environment is distracting. The background noise blends in with speech. Mild hearing loss apparently feels exactly like that. I used to have mild hearing loss due to ear inflammation in early childhood, it healed in an unexplained manner and I can't hear the ear ringing any more. But I can't hear clearly despite that. It's hard to tell why and how exactly, but I can't hear with background noise and I often need things to be written down.

 

[Alexej]

My wife can sit and read text from a computer screen. She reads about 2 novels a week on her tablet.

Me: I don't read fiction, but I do read a LOT of scientific journal articles. I typically print them off and use a highlighter. My wife gets irritated with all the stacks of journal articles lying around. "Why are you wasting paper and ink? Read them on the computer!" No. Got to have something in my hand and a highlighter handy. "Why are you buying books? Read them on the computer!" No. Same reasons. My brain doesn't operate like that. With a highlighter handy, I tend to concentrate on the key points. It helps my focus. Otherwise, like you said, the mind begins to wander. The next thing I know, I will have "read" 4-6 pages and not retained a single word.

Hey I resemble that remark!

 

[SweetHoney]

My ears work fine, but I can't hear what other people are saying clearly regardless, that's also auditory processing disorder apparently. I read faster than most people, it seems, everything is fine with my eyesight. I thought I'm partially deaf most of my life. I don't experience any of the difficulties with focus. Unless the rest of the environment is distracting. The background noise blends in with speech. Mild hearing loss apparently feels exactly like that. I used to have mild hearing loss due to ear inflammation in early childhood, it healed in an unexplained manner and I can't hear the ear ringing any more. But I can't hear clearly despite that. It's hard to tell why and how exactly, but I can't hear with background noise and I often need things to be written down.

This is so me. But I had read that it was all ADHD that caused the inability to hear beyoñd background noise. I don't know what is overlap or not?

 

[vergil96]

@SweetHoney how long is this second post you've quoted? I got new better information since joining here.