How I Hear The Noise

— Noah Dinner

Sound is something most people are exposed to every day, yet they rarely think about it. 

Many people assume that what sounds loud or quiet to them will sound the same to everyone else. However, this is not always true. Everyone’s brain processes sound differently depending on their biology, development, and life experiences. In my case, my response to sound has always been confusing because certain loud sounds feel normal to me, while others do not.

One thing that people have always noticed about me is how loud I play my music, movies, and television shows. The people I live with often complain that the volume is far too loud and ask me to turn it down or turn it off completely. However, to me the volume sounds perfectly normal or comfortable. It very much depends on the sound to be loud for me. This difference has made me think why is noise different from other people? And what sounds feel normal to me and what feels loud to others?

It can be overwhelming to be outside due to the loud noises that are always present. Some instances, like the presence of cars or loud noises from other people, can be overwhelming and even painful to the ears, although I always end up moving on with my life. There are instances where I can cope with loud noises as much as I want. An instance like this is when I am watching a loud action movie at the cinema. It does not bother me at all, even though the cinema is always loud. The loud noises at the cinema are more manageable than the loud noises found outside because they are more predictable.

One factor that definitely influences my experience with sound is my autism.  Some individuals with autism are extremely sensitive to sound, while others may prefer louder sounds in order for them to feel normal. Sounds, lights, touch, and many other daily things could feel stronger or weaker depending on the person. This explanation of why certain people on the spectrum can tolerate a certain amount of sounds could definitely be a factor as to why loud noises from movies are fine with my ears.

One reason I believe this happens is because I was born with significant hearing problems. When I was born, I was about sixty percent deaf. Because of this, I was not able to hear sounds properly during the early years of my life. I had a hard time understanding what the people around me were saying, and with that they couldn’t understand what I wanted. So I relied on hitting them(not hitting to abuse but hitting to get their attention). I was in so much pain and no one around me realized it really. 

When I was around one to two years old, doctors performed surgery to fix my ears, and my tonsils were also removed. After this procedure, my hearing improved and I was finally able to hear the world around me more clearly. Even though my hearing improved, my development was still behind that of other children my age. Many children already knew how to communicate and speak clearly, while I was still learning how to understand words and express myself.

A big possibility that probably affected my perception of sound is the environment I grew up in. My father was very strict and often yelled or shouted at me. 

Growing up in an environment where loud voices were common may have affected how I perceive sound today. When children are exposed to loud sounds in the household, they begin to live with it and overtime the sound is normal to them.

When I consider all of my life experiences, it seems likely that several different factors have shaped my perception of sound. First, my early hearing loss meant that my brain did not receive normal sound input during an important stage of development. Second, my autism may influence how my brain processes sensory information. Finally, growing up in a strict household where yelling was common may have also shaped my response to loud sounds.

In conclusion, my experiences with sound show that loudness is not only determined by the physical volume of a sound, but also by how each person’s brain interprets it. Hearing history, neurological differences, and personal life experiences can all influence how people perceive the sounds around them. What may be extremely loud for some people may feel normal to me, while certain other sounds may still feel difficult for me to tolerate. 

Noah comes to us by way of the BroadFutures 2026 Winter Internship. He is spending twelve weeks observing and participating in The Arc of Northern Virginia’s operations and programs and bringing his own perspective and contribution to our work.