Autism is a very misunderstood condition that affects a surprisingly large amount of the UKs population. Until you have firsthand experience of dealing with somebody that you know to be on the Autistic Spectrum, dependant where on the spectrum they are you may be forgiven for not even knowing they are autistic. You are more likely to believe that they are just being rude.

The more you come to know about Autism you will realise that this just isn’t the case. Autistic people are just like the rest of us they just do things differently just as different cultures live by different rules. People with ASDs generally only have a single focus of attention and are UN able to multi task.

As an example if somebody with Autism is watching a particular program on the television that they really like you could be screaming and shouting their name and they could seemingly not hear you because they are so focused on the program they are watching. ASD people are excellent at what they are doing at that point in time and will not change that focus until they want to.

Apart from this there are many other areas of an ASD that may present themselves such as sensory over load. A lot of ASD people cannot cope with their surroundings if it’s too busy as there are simply just too many things for their minds to process. Most of us wouldn’t notice all of these things going on around us but to somebody with an ASD this sort of environment can be very distressing.

This article isn’t intended to give you an overview of Autism and all its traits its more to offer some advice on a particular area that may affect some people with an ASD. Somebody suffering from a sensory issue, in particular aversion to noise, in the past would have probably relied on putting their hands over their ears, not going anywhere where they would come into contact with strange noises or even walked around with a pair of ear phones on.

Today there are at least two popular alternatives that can be offered. The first can help in two ways and is an IPod. IPods are very popular today and if the person wanted to go UN noticed as suffering from this particular trait and IPod would offer a good alternative and they can also pipe some music through it that they like. This solution works well on the move but in some situations just isn’t possible like in school classrooms for instance.

The way around this is the ever popular ear defenders. These devices can be custom moulded to fit snugly in your ear. They come in a whole host of different colours and can be worn as much as you like. Ear Defenders literally block out all the excessive noise allowing you to hear what is being said so your hearing is very focussed rather than all over the place. As an option if the person suffering with an ASD will wear them is probably the most suitable. Autism isn’t a condition to be feared it’s a condition that needs to be understood in greater detail.

Nobody is going to refute the importance of hearing, it is one of the main means by which we experience and interact with the world around us. With this in mind it seems strange that auditory health and protection are neglected on a widespread scale.

The maximum volume achievable in air is 194dB (decibels), this is a level which you are never going to personally experience unless at the site of an exploding volcano, although if you have ever fired a shotgun you may have experienced volume at a none too distant level of 165dB!

Putting these massive figures aside, damage can be caused at any level from 85dB: which is equivalent to heavy traffic or a hair dryer- if exposed to the sound for in excess of 8 hours. Evidently given the long exposure time, this doesn’t pose too immediate or major a threat. There are however examples which are far more worrying. Listening to music through headphones is a particularly concerning instance, especially given the proliferation of personal mp3 players in recent years. IPod’s for instance historically had a maximum volume in excess of 110 dB, at this level permanent damage can occur in less than 2 minutes: less than the length of one song.

Thankfully, Apple have recently acquiesced to governmental decrees on maximum volume and have limited devices to levels dictated by the relevant powers in most countries.
Even at their previous, unrestricted volumes however, mp3 players hardly come close to the volume levels commonly reached at rock concerts, which can range from 110dB to a staggering 140dB. At 130dB and above, pain is often experienced and immediate hearing damage is not uncommon. As a consequence of this, not only is it absolutely imperative that musicians take measures to protect themselves from frequent exposure to the volume levels reached at live performances but also that those in the crowd take measures to prevent potential damage.

The same concerns affect motorcyclists, who are often exposed to volumes in the region of 100dB when on the road and those who use power tools, which in some cases emit up to 120dB when in operation. There are a vast range of instances in which individuals may be exposed to sound levels which threaten auditory health.

In order to protect your hearing and prevent future damage there are two simple options, the first of which: turn the volume down, is incredibly effective, but obviously impossible in many situations! In environments without a volume control, ear defenders are the sensible option. Unlike the unwieldy large headgear of the past, ear protection is now extremely discreet and incredibly advanced. In addition, rather than just minimising the sound allowed to pass into the ear, many modern devices are able to block specific frequencies allowing conversation in areas of high background noise, whilst still protecting the user.

Despite recent legislation in some areas, such as the requirement of employers to provide hearing protection to employees working in environments which commonly reach high volume levels, it is almost universally the responsibility of the individual to protect their hearing in the long term. With that in mind, ear defenders may well be worth taking a closer look at.