hearing problems?

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I hear sounds without problems, I can hear soft and high pitched sounds that some people can't anymore.

However, I seem to have trouble to understand people where others don't. When in a noisy environment with many people all talking through each other, most people seem to be able to understand everything and even be able to hear two different people talking at the same time.

I, however, have trouble understanding what they're saying and can't follow what they're talking about.

Is this common for aspies?

I believe it is, Hybrid. I recall several discussions we've had on this subject. I also have that difficulty. When I'm in a large group of people, there is little chance I'll participate because of this. (Also, because I do not know when to speak). It seems to have to do with difficulty filtering information, what I mean is your brain does not filter the foreground noise from the background noise the way most people's brains do. Does this make sense to you?

Sensory Integration Dysfunction / Sensory Processing Disorder.

i believe another characteristic is not being able to tell which direction sounds come from.

I've got that too; I describe my ability to understand people to that of an NT who is hearing everyone speak in an unfamiliar and really heavy accent. I can hear fine and I can mostly process, but every so often I just hear the sounds and they don't add up on the first processing, so I have to try and puzzle out what people have actually just said. To my knowledge it is common with AS, or at least "known" to go with it sometimes.

I have basically perfect hearing. The problem is that I didn't get perfect hearing until I was 13, and before that I had hearing aids to help correct (partially) profound deafness. I can hear perfectly fine, but I can barely understand what I am hearing. I also have no sense of sound direction, but if I get another implant I might be able to delevope that ablity.

Doesn't anyone find that watching people's mouths (almost like lipreading) helps?

I'm a bona-fide lipreader, and I understand people almost only by lipreading.

I have a terrible time hearing what people are saying in noisy environments, and also figuring out what direction sounds are coming from. I'll often resort to flat-out guessing what people are saying to me. This usually ends up being pretty confusing to both sides when I get it wrong...

Yes I have this exact problem. My hearing is sensitive, but very non-selective. I can usually tell if a TV is on the instant I walk into a room without looking, because of the high-pitched squeal it makes. Many people I've talked to say they can't hear it at all.

But in a noisy environment I have a terrible time trying to carry a conversation. Last night I was at a loud bar with 3 other friends. We were all sitting at a table and they were talking as if they were sitting in a library. To me it was just a jumbled bunch of noise.

Also, I'm really sensitive to certain noises. For instance the default Yahoo Messenger sound (rrrRIINNNGGGGG!! !) is absolutely infuriating.