For a study, noise impaired performance for both children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their age- and language-matched peers. When there was no face present on the screen, the effect of noise was generally similar across groups with and without ASD. But when the face was present, the noise had a more detrimental effect on children with ASD than their language-matched peers, suggesting neurotypical children were better able to use visual cues on the speaker’s face to aid performance. Moreover, those children with ASD who attended more to the speaker’s face showed better listening performance in the presence of noise. Young children both with and without ASD show poorer performance comprehending speech in the presence of another talker than in quiet. However, results suggested that neurotypical children may be better able to make use of face cues to partially counteract the effects of noise. Children with ASD varied in their use of face cues, but those children who spent more time attending to the face of the target speaker appeared less disadvantaged by the presence of background noise, indicating a potential path for future interventions. Adults and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders show greater difficulties comprehending speech in the presence of noise.
Link:jneurodevdisorders.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s11689-020-09348-9
