difficulty hearing/ filtering ambient noise.

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Is this ever a problem with anyone? a few years back I worked part-time at a Chinese restaurant taking phone and counter orders and prepping meals. My acute hearing has always been good, but i have some difficulty hearing when there is a lot of ambient noise. The multiple searing woks, the deep fryers, the ringing phones, the music, customers talking, clatter of kitchenware, and phone-line static sometimes made it very hard for me to hear, especially when on the phone. All those elements sound like they would make hearing difficult for anyone, but I seemed to have a lot more trouble with it than anyone else.

Has anyone else had similar issues in the workplace? After working there I try to avoid noisy work environments and places where i would need to constantly be on the phone.

Yeah I had three people around me at work all talking and someone on the phone today at the same time...it felt like my head was going to explode! Very hard to concentrate on the one voice I'm supposed to be concentrating on. I love my job as it is related to an interest of mine in neuroscience but if it wasn't I would have left long ago. We used to have a radio as well which was a nightmare on top of all the people talking and building work outside and constant interuptions. I complained to the boss as I was really struggling to concentrate and got it removed. Fortunately nobody figured out it was me who complained.

This is a problem for everyone on or off the spectrum, but I think those of us with hearing sensitivity problems have it worse. Unfortunately, you can't always use sound cancelling headphones at work. At least you managed to have the radio removed to lessen the overload.

Hello

Does anyone else have this? When I am in a crowded place like a bar, I hear everything all at once. It is sort of like I have a hearing aid turned up high. I can hear the background music, the tinkling of glasses, all the different conversations, the conversation I am trying to have, the sound of the bartender mixing drinks, people laughing etc.

I get so overwhelmed in these kind of situations.

This issue seems to often be unofficially referred to as The Cocktail Party Effect.

It took me a long time to realize people could actually filter speech and audio in loud crowded places. I think it is sometimes called a sensory gate.

I sure as hell don't have it.

I also have a hard time with garbled audio like lousy Intercom speakers or Walkie Talkies.

^^^ Same hear. [drum fill]

Seriously... the more noise in the room, the more overwhelmed I get and less communication actually happens. There were times at my phone-center job where the "cool kids" were playing so noisily that I couldn't hear my customers!

I simplify it for anyone who asks that, "I have a hard time filtering noise and can only hear the loudest thing in the room." That helps some people understand a little, but normies seem to have no problem filtering out noise and can't understand why everyone can't do the same.

Yeah, I work in an office with an open floor plan and have a lot of trouble with this. It would be one thing if I could just put in ear plugs and block it all out, but I spend a lot of time on the phone with clients, so that's not really an option.

I now have a coworker who is so loud I almost feel like he must be doing it for attention. He used to just plop a radio on his desk and turn it on and I managed to get him to start wearing ear buds instead. (I told him a client had complained about the background noise when I was on the phone with her, which was true). But, he still hums and stomps along to the music, which drives me crazy.

He takes his lunch at his desk and he even chews so loudly, I can't concentrate. I know that makes it sound like I just have really sensitive hearing, but I swear it's true. I've never watched him eat (we're in cubicles, so I can't actually see him), but I know it's with his mouth open and I can hear him smacking his lips, making these weird "Hmm, yeah, that's so good" comments under his breath, like he's talking to a woman instead of a piece of leftover lasagna, etc. I swear one of these days, I'm going to record his lunch break and put it on YouTube or something.

I work in the OR: Suctions running continuously, monitors constantly beeping, cautery sounds a tone when on, oftentimes the radio is playing, and in addition to verbal requests for instruments/supplies/etc., there's quite a lot of social chatter from everyone in the room.

It's difficult. I've found that the more familiar I am with the procedure and the doctor's voice and the way he asks for things, the better I can tune out others and sort out what's needed (i.e.; "sponge") vs what I can ignore. I'll focus extra on new docs to pay attention to their inflection and their verbal rhythm and that seems to help. New surgeries/staff/docs can spin me into confusion, though. In those cases I'll warn anyone who needs to communicate with me to call my name first if they need to get my attention.

I find this with voicemail trying to understand what is actually said.

Yes definitely --

I know I'm not deaf but I think this is what it is Auditory Processing Disorder

I read about this blogger's experience and it is so close to mine ....
this is what makes keeping track of 2+ people talking so difficult

Can manage usually to make out what one person says, but beyond that, and if I
am in a restaurant or bar...... everything is at the same auditory level...

I think this issue is common to a lot of aspies, and it is what holds us back during communication.. because we cant say- I'm deaf, can you say that again, and also even if I hear what is being said, it doesnt always make sense...
so I cant do that well on the phone, or take instructions verbally...

http://qw88nb88.wordpress.com/living-wi ... -disorder/

I find the phone very difficult unless there is little-to-no background noise. Especially if there is a lot of noise at the other end, I'm hopeless.

Same as if I am in a pub or other busy environment and there is a conversation going on at either side of me, I find it impossible to follow either. The words just blur into noise.

I was thinking my hearing was getting worse, but now I wonder if it's actually turned up too high and I hear too well?

I have it. I tend to wear earphones and listen to music all day. Helps having an office job.

I'm fortunate in that I have a room to myself. I have to listen to audio of tv shows to do my job and I have to pay close attention. One time I had to share the room with a very friendly coworker. I was okay with her but sometimes other people would come by and chat with her while I was trying to pay attention to my work. I'd try to drop a subtle hint by turning up the sound, but they just talked louder. I finally had to ask for headphones.

I have this problem. It can be physically painful.