Children on the autism spectrum can experience significant difficulties with school participation and academic performance, to which the classroom acoustic environment could contribute. Noise of classrooms has been reported to be a particularly distressing sensory experience, with children on the spectrum showing decreased, increased, and mixed abilities in specific aspects of auditory processing. Children on the spectrum could benefit from improving classroom acoustics through enhancing classroom signal-to-noise ratios (SNR). Objectives: To systematically review the literature to determine if improving SNR enhances classroom performance in students on the spectrum. Methods: Six databases were searched for the terms acoustics, SNR, classroom, and ASD. Studies had to include school-aged children on the spectrum with or without comorbid developmental disorders, exposed for any duration to some form of SNR enhancement. Study design had to compare treatment versus no treatment condition and include any measured aspect of student listening and / or classroom performance. Five studies met the selection criteria. Results: Studies reported improved SNR benefitted children on the spectrum. Benefits included improved listening behaviours, increased on-task behaviours, improved speech recognition and reduced listening stress. Three studies reported that RMHAs resulted in improved listening, auditory performance, communication, speech recognition in noise, on-task behaviours, auditory filtering, effects of noise and reverberation, and sound aversion. No significant improvements were reported in listening comprehension and auditory memory. One study reported the use of SFA systems could reduce listening stress, whilst another reported use of sound-absorbing walls resulting in decreased non-attending behaviour. Conclusions: Improving the SNR can improve classroom performance in some students on the spectrum. Further research should consider tactile sensitivity mitigating technologies. Key learning outcomes: Classroom acoustics and , in particular, poor SNR can be challenging for children on the spectrum. Classroom SNR can be improved through different interventions, ranging from personal and conspicuous strategies, to more general, relatively non-intrusive approaches.
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Funder
Cooperative Research Centre for Living with Autism
Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC)
Autism Research Database (AFD)
