Critical Sound Identification for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Toward Personalized Serious Games for Auditory Desensitization
摘要
Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) frequently experience auditory hypersensitivity, which can significantly impact their daily lives. While serious games (SGs) have shown promise in addressing sensory challenges, limited research exists on identifying the specific sounds most distressing to this population. This study aimed to determine the critical auditory stimuli for children with ASD and assess whether sound intensity influences their perceived discomfort. An Audio Interactive Questionnaire alike digital questionnaire was developed, incorporating 30 sounds across categories (low-frequency, high-frequency, sudden) with varying intensities. Participants (n = 12 males aged 8–11 with ASD) rated sounds using a Likert-scale emoji interface. Results identified seven sounds as most aversive: high-intensity fire engine sirens, traffic noise, baby crying, drilling, school bells, and trains. While higher-intensity sounds generally elicited stronger negative responses, exceptions (e.g., checkout till sounds) suggested individual variability. These findings highlight the need for personalized SG interventions to desensitize children with ASD to distressing auditory stimuli, emphasizing the role of sound characteristics in therapeutic design.