Myomancy ADHD, Dyslexia and Autism

The EideNeurolearning blog reports on a study into Williams Syndrome (also called Williams-Beuren syndrome), a genetic disorder characterised by mental retardation coupled with an unusual facility with language and a love for music. Because of the nature of the syndrome it made a good study on sound sensitivity. Carers of people with Williams Syndrome where asked to complete questionnaires on what and how sounds effected them and these where compared to the answers given by people with Down Syndrom, autism and a normal control group.
Normally sound sensitivity is referred to as Hyperacusis but this term is used to describe various behaviours. The study, ‘Aversion, Awareness, and Attraction: Investigating Claims of Hyperacusis in the Williams Syndrome Phenotype’ [PDF], found four different sound related behavior.

True Hyperacusis was only found in the people with Williams Syndrome and then only in 4.7% of the group. Odynacusis and Auditory Allodynia was found in 70%+ of the Williams Sydnrome group and around 30% in the autistic group compared with 2% of normal control group. Interestingly some of the behaviour exhibited by the people with Williams Syndrome is remarkably similar to obsessive behaviour seen with autism through with sounds rather than the more common tactile obsessions seen in autism: “… one young adult spontaneously said that he loved the sound of vacuum cleaners. His parents reported that he owned 18 vacuum cleaners …“. The negative reactions to some sounds were also reminiscent of autism: “One child in our study covered her ears and cried to her mother that the birds outside were ‘hollering’ at her. One 17-year-old girl reported extreme distress from the sound of a vacuum cleaner in another room, explaining that ‘the sound reverberates in my head.’“
At an approximately 30%+ incident rate, its obvious that sound sensitivity is significant in autism and sheds light on some autistic behaviour. See also The Senses of Autism and Hearing Things.