I have problems with some of the questions completely removing context. Like would you rather go to a party or a museum. If it's a meet and greet Young Republican's party I would rather visit the Museum of Bad Art (actually quite fun BTW).
This seems to be seen as a newer, more advanced test for adults:
http://sites.cardiff.ac.uk/rbq2a/files/2015/07/The-Adult-Repetitive-Behaviour-Questionnaire1.pdf
Background: The Adult Repetitive Behaviour Questionnaire-2 - Cardiff University
http://sites.cardiff.ac.uk/rbq2a/files/2015/07/The-Adult-Repetitive-Behaviour-Questionnaire1.pdf
Background: The Adult Repetitive Behaviour Questionnaire-2 - Cardiff University
I believe a major aspect of people's lives and relationships revolves around control, or to be more precise, an attempt to maintain an illusion of control. OCDs being a good example, most people can relate to them, I've had mild ones which on occasion have become a little debilitating. It's interesting that autistic people might listen to the same pieces of music repeatedly, listening to an unknown piece of music means that you have relinquished control.
I find the OCD memes and posts fascinating. Like one thing in a pattern out of place. The responses to those are often hilarious to me, because they don't drive me crazy. But they sure bother other people. I usually find them more interesting than unbroken or perfect patterns. We do see things differently, and maybe hear things differently.
That largely translates into Zen concept of attachment, which is an (ineffective) effort to unbind ourselves from transience.
This is as human of a problem as it gets, but is largely off topic.
The traits of autism are quite different imho, and while have similarities are not linked.
My favorite translation - Freedom from want; you have everything you want and don't want what you don't have.
This could be the crux of the issue. We will have different experiences/observations, but what does it really matter to an autistic person?
RBQ-2A
I agree repetitive behavior is very common among the autistic irrelevant to low-functioning and high-functioning. It can be used to diagnose the autistic traits. My score in the test at post #13 is 43. This is my average score about such test. Persistence on the same thing and dislikeness about an interaction inevitably result in such number. The former tends to end up the latter because a human reaction is usually not the same.
RBQ-2A has two sections. Oen(from the first page to the second) is a physical one which is not so common among high-functioning people. The other(from the third to the forth) is a psychological one which is very popular among not only the autistic but also a scientist. I also have very strong desire to keep things as it is.
"Do you insist on things at home remaining the same?"
Yes, absolutely.
The reason is very simple. The things remaining the same condition mean nothing for me. I don't need to care about the things which don't change the position. In other words, they are not dangerous. No problem to ignore them. That's the reason for my persistence on the same thing. A cat dislikes change. I'm sure they don't like dangerous situation brought by change.
Hatred for alternation is in favor of scientific research. When I experiment on an electric circuit, my procedure is always same as before. I can easily find out the reason if I have an unordinary result because my routine is always same. That's why a scientist usually has strong persistence on the same process. Autistic traits are in favor of a scientist.
As to aural sensation, I am very sensitive to artificial distortion. The classical concert is the only possible one because it has no PA system. PA is very distortive for me. It's impossible to hear for ten seconds. I also dislike a noisy place. But I love thunder rumbling because it has no distortion. Almost every audio system is unbearable for me. The only solution is to make a bearable system by myself. This is one of my motivation to design audio system. No audio without by myself.
I agree repetitive behavior is very common among the autistic irrelevant to low-functioning and high-functioning. It can be used to diagnose the autistic traits. My score in the test at post #13 is 43. This is my average score about such test. Persistence on the same thing and dislikeness about an interaction inevitably result in such number. The former tends to end up the latter because a human reaction is usually not the same.
RBQ-2A has two sections. Oen(from the first page to the second) is a physical one which is not so common among high-functioning people. The other(from the third to the forth) is a psychological one which is very popular among not only the autistic but also a scientist. I also have very strong desire to keep things as it is.
"Do you insist on things at home remaining the same?"
Yes, absolutely.
The reason is very simple. The things remaining the same condition mean nothing for me. I don't need to care about the things which don't change the position. In other words, they are not dangerous. No problem to ignore them. That's the reason for my persistence on the same thing. A cat dislikes change. I'm sure they don't like dangerous situation brought by change.
Hatred for alternation is in favor of scientific research. When I experiment on an electric circuit, my procedure is always same as before. I can easily find out the reason if I have an unordinary result because my routine is always same. That's why a scientist usually has strong persistence on the same process. Autistic traits are in favor of a scientist.
As to aural sensation, I am very sensitive to artificial distortion. The classical concert is the only possible one because it has no PA system. PA is very distortive for me. It's impossible to hear for ten seconds. I also dislike a noisy place. But I love thunder rumbling because it has no distortion. Almost every audio system is unbearable for me. The only solution is to make a bearable system by myself. This is one of my motivation to design audio system. No audio without by myself.
One doctor has already suggested an “unhearing aid”
Technological solutions and an “un-hearing” aid
Many music players, video players and televisions routinely incorporate amazing functionality to modify the experience of sound. The most basic devices have some form of equalizer, allowing the listener to alter the balance between bass, mid and high frequencies, affecting the intelligibility of speech. Many also have simple noise limiters (setting a maximum volume) or more sound compressors, which reduce the loudest noises and increase the quietest — this might be called “night mode”. Someone whose enjoyment is reduced by particular frequencies or types of noise, or by unexpected loud noises, can easily modify the experience of watching a blockbuster film at home.
It would be great to take some of this technology into environments that people with autism find hard — public spaces with the high-pitched squeal of low-energy lights, the hum of electric motors, car engines, ambulance sirens and the clatter of cutlery and crockery. One possibility is a reverse hearing-aid, an “un-hearing aid”, that takes the sound of the real world, filters out the noise elements that a specific individual dislikes and feeds it at a comfortable level through electronic noise-cancelling headphones or passive noise-isolating earbuds. It is easy to set up processing like this at home using a laptop, a guitar effects rig or music studio hardware — a workable chain is a noise filter (to cut the annoying background low-level hiss and hum of life), an equalizer (to cut selected frequencies) and a compressor (for “night mode” style reduction in unexpected loud noise). It is also easy to test an effect chain on pre-recorded audio.
It is not possible to take mains-powered music studio equipment into most public spaces, and even a laptop would be quite limiting. Anything that resembles recording equipment is, of course, not advisable in a cinema or music venue. Software on a smartphone, perhaps a user-configurable modified hearing aid app, would provide a useful base to try out some of these ideas unobtrusively in real life public spaces.
The discussion — awareness and public awareness
It may be that a software or analogue electronic solution is not ideal — perhaps materials science could offer a battery-free solution, or perhaps acoustic filtering and reflection could be embedded in clothing.
Above all, no solution should encourage avoidant and defensive behaviour that further excludes autistic people from social settings. This discussion may open up possibilities to examine personal sensory discomfort, to become more aware of the settings and stimuli that cause sensory load, and to work towards modifying the environments we share. A dimmer-switch for environmental noise in an “unhearing aid” could open the opportunity to provide graded exposure therapy, or temporary refuge to head off sensory meltdowns.
Playing with technology and sharing the experience of sensory distraction is a productive way to raise awareness of sensory sensitivity and the impact that it has on people with autism.
From the national autistic society:
UNDER-SENSITIVE
May only hear sounds in one ear, the other ear having only partial hearing or none at all.
May not acknowledge particular sounds.
Might enjoy crowded, noisy places or bang doors and objects.
You could help by using visual supports to back up verbal information, and ensuring that other people are aware of the under-sensitivity so that they can communicate effectively. You could ensure that the experiences they enjoy are included in their daily timetable, to ensure this sensory need is met.
OVER-SENSITIVE
Noise can be magnified and sounds become distorted and muddled.
May be able to hear conversations in the distance.
Inability to cut out sounds – notably background noise, leading to difficulties concentrating.
I think it’s clear it’s not simply dissonance. Dissonance in some situations could provide a desirable effect.
Technological solutions and an “un-hearing” aid
Many music players, video players and televisions routinely incorporate amazing functionality to modify the experience of sound. The most basic devices have some form of equalizer, allowing the listener to alter the balance between bass, mid and high frequencies, affecting the intelligibility of speech. Many also have simple noise limiters (setting a maximum volume) or more sound compressors, which reduce the loudest noises and increase the quietest — this might be called “night mode”. Someone whose enjoyment is reduced by particular frequencies or types of noise, or by unexpected loud noises, can easily modify the experience of watching a blockbuster film at home.
It would be great to take some of this technology into environments that people with autism find hard — public spaces with the high-pitched squeal of low-energy lights, the hum of electric motors, car engines, ambulance sirens and the clatter of cutlery and crockery. One possibility is a reverse hearing-aid, an “un-hearing aid”, that takes the sound of the real world, filters out the noise elements that a specific individual dislikes and feeds it at a comfortable level through electronic noise-cancelling headphones or passive noise-isolating earbuds. It is easy to set up processing like this at home using a laptop, a guitar effects rig or music studio hardware — a workable chain is a noise filter (to cut the annoying background low-level hiss and hum of life), an equalizer (to cut selected frequencies) and a compressor (for “night mode” style reduction in unexpected loud noise). It is also easy to test an effect chain on pre-recorded audio.
It is not possible to take mains-powered music studio equipment into most public spaces, and even a laptop would be quite limiting. Anything that resembles recording equipment is, of course, not advisable in a cinema or music venue. Software on a smartphone, perhaps a user-configurable modified hearing aid app, would provide a useful base to try out some of these ideas unobtrusively in real life public spaces.
The discussion — awareness and public awareness
It may be that a software or analogue electronic solution is not ideal — perhaps materials science could offer a battery-free solution, or perhaps acoustic filtering and reflection could be embedded in clothing.
Above all, no solution should encourage avoidant and defensive behaviour that further excludes autistic people from social settings. This discussion may open up possibilities to examine personal sensory discomfort, to become more aware of the settings and stimuli that cause sensory load, and to work towards modifying the environments we share. A dimmer-switch for environmental noise in an “unhearing aid” could open the opportunity to provide graded exposure therapy, or temporary refuge to head off sensory meltdowns.
Playing with technology and sharing the experience of sensory distraction is a productive way to raise awareness of sensory sensitivity and the impact that it has on people with autism.
From the national autistic society:
UNDER-SENSITIVE
May only hear sounds in one ear, the other ear having only partial hearing or none at all.
May not acknowledge particular sounds.
Might enjoy crowded, noisy places or bang doors and objects.
You could help by using visual supports to back up verbal information, and ensuring that other people are aware of the under-sensitivity so that they can communicate effectively. You could ensure that the experiences they enjoy are included in their daily timetable, to ensure this sensory need is met.
OVER-SENSITIVE
Noise can be magnified and sounds become distorted and muddled.
May be able to hear conversations in the distance.
Inability to cut out sounds – notably background noise, leading to difficulties concentrating.
I think it’s clear it’s not simply dissonance. Dissonance in some situations could provide a desirable effect.
The big takeaway for me is this snippet:
It is easy to set up processing like this at home using a laptop, a guitar effects rig or music studio hardware — a workable chain is a noise filter (to cut the annoying background low-level hiss and hum of life), an equalizer (to cut selected frequencies) and a compressor (for “night mode” style reduction in unexpected loud noise). It is also easy to test an effect chain on pre-recorded audio.
It is not possible to take mains-powered music studio equipment into most public spaces, and even a laptop would be quite limiting. Anything that resembles recording equipment is, of course, not advisable in a cinema or music venue. Software on a smartphone, perhaps a user-configurable modified hearing aid app, would provide a useful base to try out some of these ideas unobtrusively in real life public spaces.
———-
So, an application which takes environmental sounds, through a smartphone, filters back into the ears.
It’s suggested that it have:
1. background low-level hiss and hum of life filter
2. An equalizer (to cut selected frequencies) 3. A compressor (for “night mode” style reduction in unexpected loud noise
I would wonder how to get it to not filter the sound of the users own voice in playback back through the ears.
It is easy to set up processing like this at home using a laptop, a guitar effects rig or music studio hardware — a workable chain is a noise filter (to cut the annoying background low-level hiss and hum of life), an equalizer (to cut selected frequencies) and a compressor (for “night mode” style reduction in unexpected loud noise). It is also easy to test an effect chain on pre-recorded audio.
It is not possible to take mains-powered music studio equipment into most public spaces, and even a laptop would be quite limiting. Anything that resembles recording equipment is, of course, not advisable in a cinema or music venue. Software on a smartphone, perhaps a user-configurable modified hearing aid app, would provide a useful base to try out some of these ideas unobtrusively in real life public spaces.
———-
So, an application which takes environmental sounds, through a smartphone, filters back into the ears.
It’s suggested that it have:
1. background low-level hiss and hum of life filter
2. An equalizer (to cut selected frequencies) 3. A compressor (for “night mode” style reduction in unexpected loud noise
I would wonder how to get it to not filter the sound of the users own voice in playback back through the ears.
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Back in 1993, I graduated on an integratable compressor-limiter for hearing aids. Back then, state-of-the-art analogue hearing aids already had a bandpass filter with tunable cut-off frequencies, a compressor with about 2:1 dynamic range compression and a peak limiter.
I haven't kept track of the developments in hearing aid design over the past 25 years, but presumably modern DSP-based hearing aids can already do most of the things you mentioned. Maybe they need a firmware update to add the noise gate or downward expander and the bandstop filter.
I haven't kept track of the developments in hearing aid design over the past 25 years, but presumably modern DSP-based hearing aids can already do most of the things you mentioned. Maybe they need a firmware update to add the noise gate or downward expander and the bandstop filter.
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