In this article, we have reviewed the best headphones for autistic children and adults. If you are in a hurry, the table below gives a quick snapshot of the top ones.
|
Top Choice
|
Second Choice
|
Best Value
|
|
What's good?:
Non electric, reduces noise by over 22dB
|
What's good?:
Reduces noise by 22dB, soft design, one size fits all.
|
What's good?:
28dB noise reduction, perfectly sized for children. Compact and foldable design
|
|
What could be better?:
Nothing
|
What could be better?:
Can cause a bit of pressure on the earbuds
|
What could be better?:
Its a bit small and not appropriate for children with larger heads
|
Contents
How to deal with the issues that an autistic child or adult suffers? Is your dear one struggling to combat loud noises?
Autism is a disease that restricts people from communicating with the outside world. Nearly one in fifty-four children are suffering from this severe disease[1].
Between 30-90% of those with autism tend to over or under-react to sensory perceptions such as sounds [2]. Importantly, loud noises cause an autistic person to react very aggressively or with a lot of fear. Noise-canceling headphones can help autistic patients combat this situation.
You can get these headphones in an affordable price range. They protect your autistic loved one from having to face unnecessarily loud noises. Many brands produce noise-canceling headphones, but the best ones are hard to find.
To narrow down your options, I have accumulated some of the best headphones for autistic children and adults, protecting them from loud noises.
Our Top Choice – Vic Firth Kidphones headphones For Kids
The Vic Firth Kidphones Non-electronic Isolation headphones For Kids, Blue is our top choice for the Best Headphones for Autistic Children and adults because of the following reasons:
- It is very lightweight to make it travel-friendly.
- It comes with two rotating ear cups to make it adjust as per various head sizes.
- 22dB noise reduction rating helps shunt out loud noises like thunderstorms and construction noises.
- This headphone comes in a universal size to make it compatible with almost all children, including teenagers.
- Both the ear cups come in bright blue color to give it a stylish look.
Best Headphones for Autistic Children and Adults
#1 Vic Firth Kidphones headphones For Kids
This headphone is the first choice because this lightweight headphone comes with two large and comfortable ear cups. These ear cups are rotational to allow you to adjust them along with various head sizes. Moreover, it comes with 22db noise reduction sensitivity and is suitable not only for children, including teenagers.
Features and benefits
- Lightweight: This set of headphones is very lightweight. Therefore, you can easily carry it with you wherever you go.
- Earcups: It comes with two large rotating earcups that you can adjust as per your head size.
- Noise reduction: 22db noise reduction sensitivity is good enough to help your child comfortably listen to the sound.
- Design: This set of headphones comes in such a size that comfortably fits most of the children. Moreover, the ear cups come in blue color to make them look stylish and elegant.
Why should you buy it?
Both the earcups are well-padded and rotational to make them fit as per various sizes. Moreover, this set of headphones is lightweight to make it travel-friendly.
You may also like Best Gifts for Special Needs Adults
#2 Hearing Protection Ear Muffs
Both the earmuffs of these headphones are very comfortable, and you can wear them throughout the day. The manufacturers attach soft foam cushions with both of these earmuffs to fit with your child’s ear. It has an excellent noise distressing process to reduce even the sound of a thunderstorm.
Features and benefits
- Protection: It comes with 22db sensitivity to make your child’s ear protected.
- Design: The manufacturers use high-grade ABS plastic along with soft cushion foam to make it comfortable to your child’s ears.
- Adjustable design: An adjustable head strap is present to make this headphone fit most of your head size.
- Noise reduction: Both the earmuffs come with a good noise reduction process that can reduce even a thunderstorm’s noise.
Why should you buy it?
It comes with an adjustable strap to make it comfortably fit with most of your head sizes. Besides, the manufacturers use premium-quality ABS plastic and soft foam to help your child to wear it throughout the day and night.
#3 Baby Banz Earmuffs Infant Hearing Protection
This headphone comes next on our list because it serves newborn babies to 24-month babies. It is available in a bright color option along with 31db noise reduction sensitivity. The manufacturers attach excellent quality smooth pads to fit comfortably to your newborn’s sensitive ear canal.
Features and benefits
- Noise reduction: 28db noise reduction sensitivity reduces all the harmful surrounding noise to make your newborn’s ear protected.
- Lightweight: It is lightweight to feel comfortable to your dear one’s ears. Moreover, the manufacturers use high-grade material to make it durable and long-lasting.
- Adjustable headband: It comes with an adjustable head strap to comfortably fit all children’s age groups.
- Gives comfort: The manufacturers attach premium quality soft padded material with the ear cups to make your child feel comfortable.
Why should you buy it?
It comes with a 28db noise reduction rating to make your child’s ear protected from all harmful sounds. Moreover, this lightweight headphone comes with an adjustable head strap to fit it comfortably and most children’s age groups.
You may also like Best Dog for Special Needs Child
#4 Muted Designer Hearing Protection for Infants & Kids
This headphone can not only protect your baby’s ear canal but also come with a padded head strap to make your baby feel comfortable. It comes with a 27db noise reduction rate. It is portable to fit inside your bag to make it travel-friendly comfortably.
Features and benefits
- Complete fit: Both the head straps and ear cups come with high-quality pads to make you feel comfortable.
- Adjustable head strap: It comes with an adjustable head strap to make it comfortably fit with your head.
- Design: Both ear cups come in a stylish and beautiful design to enhance the personality of your autistic child.
- Protects ear: It comes with 27db noise reduction sensitivity to protect your child’s ear from harmful loud noises.
Why should you buy it?
Besides ear cups, the adjustable head strap also comes with a high-quality pad to make it comfortable for your child. Moreover, 27db noise reduction sensitivity helps to protect your child’s ear canal from surrounding sounds.
#5 Skullcandy Venue Over-Ear Headphone
This Skullcandy headphone is suitable both for children and young adults. It is lightweight and has good-quality memory foam to make your ears feel comfortable. It also comes with an adjustable rear strap to easily fit your head size.
Features and benefits
- Connectivity: It comes with 30m wireless Bluetooth connectivity. Therefore, you can connect this headset with your computer or PC and can move around.
- Noise cancellation: Enabled with active noise cancellation therapy, these earphones reduce surrounding sound to protect your autistic loved ones’ ears.
- Battery: It has a good battery lifespan that can last up to 24-hours without having a single charge.
- Miscellaneous: This smart device comes with several buttons to control various features, including- volume, call, microphone, track, and many others.
Why should you buy it?
Enabled with wireless Bluetooth connectivity, you can easily connect this smart device to your laptop or PC. Besides, it comes with several controlling features, like- volume, call, microphone, etc.
You may also like Best Sports For Autistic Boy
#6 Mpow 035 Noise Reduction Safety Ear Muffs
Though Mpow 035 ear muffs come last in this list, it is durable and comes with an active noise reduction technology. It is lightweight and can give a comfortable feeling throughout the day. It can efficiently reduce the surrounding noise to help an autistic person.
No products found.Features and benefits
- Sound technology: The manufacturers attach double-layered noise controlling foam and 34db noise reduction sensitivity to enhance this device’s sound.
- Adjustable head strap: It comes with an adjustable head strap to fit with almost all the head sizes.
- Lightweight: It is lightweight and comes in a compact size to easily carry this headset with you.
- Feels comfortable: It comes with a high-quality pad in sound pad to make you feel comfortable.
Why should you buy it?
The double-layered noise-canceling foam helps to make your baby feel comfortable. Besides, 34db noise-reducing sensitivity is responsible for making your ear protected from harmful sounds.
No products found.
Buyer’s Guide: Best Headphones for Autistic Children and Adults
Earcup/ earbuds
When you pick a noise-canceling headphone, you must choose the ear cups to cover your ears adequately. These ear cups help to keep your ear protected to reduce most of the loud music.
Earbuds headset is not suitable for the noise-canceling option. As they do not come with a noise-canceling feature, they can harm you if you use them for a more extended period.
ANC technology
Noise Reduction Technology is the amount that an ear cup can reduce outside sounds.
Most ear cups come with a pad to protect your ear canal. These earmuffs use this technology to give the headphones a noise-canceling feature. For example, 27NRR indicates how much the earmuff will reduce outside sound.
On the other hand, Active Noise Control is a process to create neutralizing sound waves. If you can match the frequency of noise coming from outside, the two sounds can cancel each other out.
Stereo sound
Some headphones come with stereo sound, whereas others come with noise reduction noise and plug-and-play connectivity. Earmuffs are helpful to reduce all the outside sounds to make your child feel relaxed.
Headphones can both reduce surrounding sound and help you to watch all the TV. You can also make your child listen to meditation music to make you feel healthy programs
Warranty
It is also a very notable factor before purchasing. Some headphone devices come with a one-year warranty, whereas others come up to a five-year manufacturing warranty. You should always prefer high warranty earmuffs, as this shows the manufacturer’s confidence in the product.
You may also like Best Jobs for Quadriplegics
Frequently Asked Questions: Best Headphones for Autistic Children and Adults
Why do autistic children cover their ears when they hear a loud noise?
Autistic children are more often than not oversensitive to sensory inputs. That means that loud noises, bright lights, strong smells, and all other inputs to their five senses which are excessive, cause them to display hyperactive symptoms. The reaction may range from covering their ears, to hiding somewhere to develop a deep fear of the source (or perceived source) of the noise.
Are headphones good for autism?
Noise-reducing headphones have come to protect both autistic children and adults from getting agitated. People who are very sensitive to noise can use these headphones to keep the sounds out.
How will a noise-canceling headphone function?
The noise-canceling feature helps to get the low-frequency response and neutralizes them before it reaches the ear canal. The headset can produce a sound that is placed inverted 180-degree with the surrounding noise. Thus, both sounds can cancel each other.
Is noise-canceling harmful?
No, noise-canceling is not at all harmful. The active noise canceling sound’s primary reason was to protect the pilot’s ear from the airplane’s loud sounds. Since then, these headphones have been used for a variety of purposes.
Today they are quite common among music lovers, people who work on construction sites, and in general, anyone who wants to concentrate on their work without any distractions.
Can you sleep with noise-canceling headphones?
Some of the noise-canceling headphones have large-sized earmuffs. They help to cover your whole ear to resist the surrounding noise. Therefore, these bigger headphones don’t give a comfortable feeling to wear at night.
If you are looking for answers on how to help an autistic child fall asleep, we have a separate article on that matter.
You may also like Best Manual Wheelchairs for Quadriplegics
Conclusion
People who are suffering from autism need these noise-canceling headphones to protect them from excessively loud noises. These headphones can reduce the outside sound and neutralize them before it passes through the ear canal.
In our opinion, the Vic Firth Kidphones Non-electronic Isolation headphones For Kids, Blue is the best choice among the various options that we have considered. It is because it comes with a larger-sized rotational earpad to make your ears cover entirely. Moreover, this is lightweight and comes with an adjustable head strap.
The Hearing Protection Ear Muffs (EAR PROTECTION) Reduce Sound by 21DB - Over The Ear - Compact Foldable Design - Perfect for Firearm Shooting, Hunting, Construction, and More! is our next best choice. It is because it is durable and comes with an excellent noise reduction range.
Suppose you are looking for a value for money option. In that case, you can also consider the
For more articles on the best products for an autistic child such as beds, probiotics, and toys, check our other blogs as well.
While we make every effort to provide updated and correct information, the advice given in this article and website should not be construed as “medical advice.” Please consult with your physician or medical practitioner before using any headphones. Each individual may have unique issues, and your medical practitioner is the best person to decide the best headphones for your case.
References:
[1] Data & Statistics on Autism Spectrum Disorder | CDC
[2] Sensory Processing in Autism: A Review of Neurophysiologic Findings