Loud things and Sensory Question

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I've always wanted to ask this question about loud things. Like I've always wondered, if anyone AS or neurodiverse wise when it came to loud things or events like sporting events or concerts. I'm not sure how to word this so I'll try. I've been near extremely loud events that I like to go to like concerts and sporting events for a very long time and just loud things in general like that don't seem to phase me like that or having things loud or cause a sensory overload.

Is it possible for someone or others AS or neurodiverse people in real to have build up a tolerance for things like that overtime especially if they were young and were around that kind of things growing up? Or can this vary from one person to another on the loudness levels and not being phased by it.


I have to task this because I never seemed phased by the loudness or sensory overload from going to extremely loud places like concerts or sporting events in general. Well I did do a Hip-Hop and R and B concert which was my first at the age of 14 on my birthday. Didn't like it all that much quality of the music wise but the loudness didn't phase me, if at all.

I have noticed that my sensory sensitivity corresponds with my stress level, and I say I have had a sensory overload when the stress caused by the sensory sensitivity causes worse sensory sensitivity and a positive feedback loop is created. I have attended concerts with no problem and had sensory overloads in relatively quiet environments because of this, if I'm having fun then it's much less likely to happen then if I'm already trying to not completely loose it and the noise level is of course a factor too as it takes less anxiety to create that positive feedback loop in a loud environment.

That's how it seems to work for me anyway.

When I was little, I did have a lot more sensory issues than I do now. After my diagnosis my dad arranged for me to get sensory integration therapy, which greatly increased my tolerance. So yes, it is possible for a person to adjust; but I don't know if the degree to which one can do this diminishes with age.

Presently, I go to tournaments at my local game store just about every week; that's a very loud environment sometimes, but since I am very focused on what I'm doing it doesn't bother me much. Interest in what you're doing may help diminish sensory issues, then.

Work can also get noisy, and this does bother me; but only if I don't expect it. I expect that the equipment in the coolers or the compressor room will make noise. I expect that when I drop a pallet onto the floor it'll be loud when it hits. So those things don't bother me too much, just a little. Someone's kid screaming all around the building? Less expected, and that really gets to me fast. So surprise may also play a role in how much sensory issues affect you.

For me in particular it all depends on my mood as to whether the noise would be a problem, but I can't be doing with crowds of people.

They absolutely do my head in, so on that note a rock concert, or even a supermarket is not the place for babybird.

I'm not diagnosed (yet?), so take from my experience what you will.

I actually like loud noise. I need things as loud as possible for me to feel comfortable. I get very anxious if it's quiet when I'm driving, for instance, and need the radio on. Loud music calms me and also makes it easier for me to relax and get things done - if I'm heading for a shutdown then loud sounds are the best thing to pull me out of that situation. Nothing feels calmer or more comfortable to me than a loud live music event.

I have issues surrounding light sensitivity and touch - certain textures that I can't stand - and also the sounds associated with these textures are a real issue (chalk on a board, even if I'm not the one holding it, or someone standing on gravel, for instance), but in general I'm happiest when there is a lot of loud music or even white noise and general background sound.

People with autism can be just as likey to be less sensitive, have a higher threshhold or oblivious to sensory things. I tend to be more oblivious to temperature than sensitive to it. What I dislike about summer is the sticky feeling rather than the heat.

For me, I can reach sensory overload dealing with multiple inputs, not always loud, just jumbled and coming from different directions. I have an issue with pitch class too, like when people/kids scream. I can imagine that someone might respond to that statement saying " well nobody likes screaming and I would agree, but for me it is the aftermath of it too. Most times I will go into shut-down mode. When the noise is expected or typical of an environment, it has less of an effect on me. Here is an example of how the same noise effects me differently.... as a drummer I can hit various cymbals with no problem, but let one of my kids hit one while I'm in the room or the room next to it and it instantly becomes sensory assault and I usually go from zero to rage in a matter of seconds. Not ideal, but real.

I'm super-sensitive to loud noises, but I know an autistic lady in my social group that loves baseball games, and the crowds don't bother her at all. My wife is pretty sure she is on the spectrum now, too, and she loves loud music (especially if there are lots of electric guitars) and cheering crowds. I can tag along if i put in earplugs. I'm thinking I may get ear defenders. I think hypo-sensitivity (under-sensitivity) to sensory input is as much a thing for autism as hyper-sensitivity (over-sensitivity). She also likes driving fast and putting hot sauce or onions on almost everything but dessert. I think one can be hypersensitive in one sense and hypersensitive in another--she loves loud music but flashing lights make her go in a trance or get really anxious.

As others have said I think stress plays a part. I would say that I cannot function when there is a loud and continuous sound from one source. There are other times when I cannot filter multiple voices. With the single loud and continuous sound I feel panic and I have breathing problems. With an overload of conversations I feel gradually less sympathetic to the topics being discussed and this can lead to my needing to leave. With the first scenario I feel the loud noise has surrounded and paralysed me. With the second scenario my sense of helplessness builds up until I feel I am ensnared. I had hoped that over the years I could find ways to stay in groups for longer but it remains hard and even when the conversations include me regularly I feel unable to untangle myself from a growing unease that becomes overwhelming. Sometimes I say too much perhaps because I want to fend off the conversation of others but this usually causes tension. I would compare both feelings of entrapment to the image of a candle flame that is set near an open window that causes the flame to shrink and flutter. Some foods help, perhaps because they set up a rhythm. An earphone in one ear helps because relaxing music creates a 'curtain' or a place of safety. Solitude often eases my stress but I have noticed that when I return home after a walk the social anxiety and stress caused by noise makes me resentful and I would say I harbour a feeling like I have paid too high a price for simply taking a walk or fetching foods from the shop. This resentment has me looking for someone to blame because I cannot straightaway understand why I feel trapped and insecure. Stress can therefore bounce along and affect a family member. I do listen to relaxing music when I go out and I try to be more aware of the connection between noise, crowds and my stress.

Everyone have a different experience with autism than you, some are similar. Sensory issues is not part of the diagnosis but it is common.

Myself i cannot stand loud noises like screaming kids, morons who scream into mobile phones instead of talking like a normal human being on the train and other things. I try not to put myself in a position where i have to experience loud sounds.

For me it's got a lot to do with whether or not the sound in question is distracting me. So if I'm having trouble concentrating on something, and there's a background noise, it's pretty likely that it'll interfere with my focus and I might well become very stressed out. If my focus happens to be stronger than the distractive power of the sound, I probably won't even notice it. Though there are some kinds of sounds that I simply dislike or like, and some sounds are less distracting than others. The recipe for a perfect storm is in an open-plan workplace when the sound is one I dislike and can't filter out (such as loud, shrill banter) and I'm trying to focus on some difficult work the boss has set me, and I'm motivated by fear of failure (because failure to do the job ultimately can lead to dismissal and financial ruin). It's a marvel I had the self-control not to strangle some of the people I had to work among before I retired.

I will say that working with students who are lower on the spectrum has bumped up my sensory tolerance. However, I still have issues with high pitched noises as they cause me to flinch. I also still have trouble with students screaming or whining (as it often tends to be high pitched in nature) when it goes all day and classrooms tend to amplify the sound. I also have issues with students who flap and rock as I can't seem to track the movement/ it raises my anxiety as I have had students hit and bite me after doing so, so find myself getting angry and wanting them to stop/ have to fight the urge to yell at them. My work has made me stressed to the point of tears and hiding in a bathroom as I try to calm down.

The other sensory issue I haven't built up a tolerance for is crowds. If I'm with my mom , I'm okay. But with my dad, brother, and mom or brother or dad, I'm not okay and get really anxious and want to hide and decompress with my computer and get really angry if I don't get space/start to become more inflexible. I had this issue when my family went to Disneyland for Christmas last year. There were fun parts but the crowds made it extremely hard for me to enjoy it all.