Managing sound sensitivity in autism spectrum disorder : new technologies for customized intervention

Many individuals diagnosed with autism experience auditory sensitivity - a condition that can cause irritation, pain, and, in some cases, profound fear. Efforts have been made to manage sound sensitivities in autism, but there is wide room for improvement. This thesis describes a new intervention that leverages the power of "Scratch" - an open source software are platform that can be used to build customizable games and visualizations. The intervention borrows principles from exposure therapy and uses Scratch to help individuals gradually habituate to sounds they might ordinarily find irritating, painful, or frightening. Facets of the proposed intervention were evaluated in a laboratory experiment conducted on a non-clinical population. The intervention was also tested on three autistic individuals with histories of auditory hypersensitivity. One case study participant showed signs of complete remission of his auditory sensitivity issue, while another showed signs of gradual improvement. Future research designs are discussed that could evaluate these findings in greater detail.

Department dc:contributor.department

Program in Media Arts and Sciences (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2009

Author dc:creator

• Morris, Robert

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Rosalind Picard.

• Architecture. Program in Media Arts and Sciences.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/55196

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/55196