Response to Noise Cancelling Headphones for Autism

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Original article: https://wrongplanet.net/noise-cancellin ... or-autism/

My response is that this is not a substitute for making systemic changes to our society. My head hurts when wearing earmuffs for more than a few hours. I would not want to have to wear earmuffs every day. I have tried various brands of earplugs and they all itch me. These are low effort, short term solutions and we need better solutions.

Pros:
Love the squishy hug on my head
Very comfy
Nice and warm in winter
I feel like I'm in a cocoon
Great for listening to bluetooth music
Music sounds great

Cons:
They echo all body noises: footsteps, chewing, tinnitus
I can't walk in them outdoors (on pavement) because the footsteps are too loud
My head gets extremely hot after a while
I can never find the right button to push without pulling them off to look
Sound cancelling: Not great at all, although mine aren't super expensive
I can't even tell if the NC is switched on or off (they both sound the same)
Bluetooth range isn't great (I can't even go to every room in my house)
I get dizzy after listening to loud music for a while

Pros:
They block out the constant noise from the pricks upstairs.

Cons:
It's causing communication problems in my relationship because I can't have a conversation with my boyfriend whilst wearing them (because I can't hear). Although he understands, it's still not the point, because I don't want to feel restricted to constantly wearing headphones all the time when in my own home and I want to communicate.

I have properly fitted noise-cancelling devices for both ears (made by an audiologist so they fit like an ordinary hearing aid) and I wouldn't trade them for anything. While I agree that we need better accommodation, I can't think of an alternative or still less a way to force the majority to remain silent.

What would you propose instead?

Better sound-proofing in buildings?

Acoustic ceiling tiles, for example, have been around for decades. They could be used in a wider variety of buildings than they currently are.

Also, public buildings could have special rooms that people could go to when they need some quiet time.

This is unfair as you listed a bunch of duplicate pros.

It would be sufficient to say that the headphones are merely comfy for you, and that pro is invalid for me because they are not comfy for me. I also ask how often do you wear them, are they still comfy for you if you wear them 24/7?

"Great for listening to bluetooth music" my understanding is that BT has a noticeable quality loss in music, this is unavoidable due to the BT technical standard. However, perhaps they upgraded BT since I last researched.

"I get dizzy after listening to loud music for a while" Have you isolated the duration of quiet music from loud music so that you have ensured the dizziness is from the loud music and not the pressure on your ears?