Autism | ADHD | Sensory | Hearing | Anxiety
The Time I Went for a Hearing Test Instead of an Autism Assessment
Hearing problems are not necessarily caused by your ears — they can also result from sensory processing difficulties
Did they not consider that someone with hearing problems might not hear their name being called?!
Why I asked for a hearing test
My weird workplace era came to an end in 2006 when John retired after running out of money. My youngest son had just been born, meaning I had two young children and no income.
I couldn’t imagine going for job interviews during the sleep-deprived phase of living with a newborn baby. So I decided to wait a while, and help my wife with childcare.
We managed to get by for a few months, thanks to my wife’s salary and my small redundancy payment. But eventually, I started worrying about my dwindling bank balance.
However, money wasn’t the only thing I was concerned about.
Having worked for the same man for 20 years, I felt anxious about going somewhere else and being a 38-year-old new starter. And I kept ruminating about every problem I ever experienced in my old workplace.
Hearing problems
One thing I focused on was my struggles to understand what people were saying in pubs, restaurants, and especially strangers on the phone at work.
It used to cause a lot of stress and embarrassment. I would ask people to repeat themselves, but it rarely helped.
On one occasion, I couldn’t hear someone’s name — even when they spelt out the letters. When a colleague took over, he had no problems.
On other occasions, I couldn’t take everything in, especially when they spoke quickly and quietly. I would often miss part of what they said, and it was embarrassing to pass on messages with key details missing.
It didn’t quite make sense, because I could hear subtle details in music, and quiet sounds like a tap dripping in another room. And I had far fewer problems hearing people on the phone at home.
Getting away with it
At my old workplace, some colleagues treated my difficulties as a source of amusement, which led me to avoid taking phone calls at all costs. I managed to get away with it by being good at the technical side of my job.
It must have looked like I avoided answering the phone because I was lazy. Or that I thought it was ‘beneath me’ — like I was too busy or important.
But the truth was that I found it extremely difficult and stressful.
Seeking help
I decided to face my problems, in the hope of feeling more confident about starting a new job. So I went to see my GP, who referred me to a hospital clinic for a hearing test.
At the hospital, something struck me about the waiting area. It was spread out along a corridor.
The way they called people was not ideal for those with hearing problems: A nurse would stand at the far end of the corridor and ask for people by name!
Was I the only one to see the problem with that? Did they not consider that someone with hearing problems might not hear their name being called?!
Hearing test
During the test, they played a variety of tones and told me to press a button when I heard them.
After the test was over, they inspected my ears and found there was a lot of wax, especially in one of them. I was alarmed by what happened next.
Don’t try this at home, as they say!
The doctor used something resembling a tiny metal spoon and scooped a large chunk of wax out of my left ear.
I know: Ewww! Too much information.
Instantly, my hearing felt massively improved. I could hear people rustling pieces of paper. And I could hear people’s shoes making contact with the floor. It was amazing!
Unfortunately, the doctor failed to remove much from my other ear. But I was still stunned by the improvement.
Then I thought: Why didn’t they test my hearing after they’d removed the wax?!
So I asked: “Should you have tested me after clearing my ears?”
“No, it wouldn't have made any difference,” they replied.
Test results
Despite having blocked ears during the test, the results did not show any major problems. They said my hearing was fairly typical for someone of my age, with some slight losses at the high frequencies.
There was nothing that explained my difficulties hearing people.
Hearing therapy
They offered me a few hearing therapy sessions, which I attended over the weeks that followed.
In essence, the sessions tried to boost my confidence. They told me how to listen better, and how to tell people I could not hear them.
It was nice to talk to someone about it and feel supported, but it wasn’t especially helpful in the end.
Autism
From 2006 onwards, I spent six years in a new workplace. Somehow, I was lucky enough to avoid taking many phone calls.
I had a quiet office to myself and things worked out as well as I could have hoped. That is, until my wife became ill and I quit work to take care of her.
Ten years after my hearing test, I had an autism assessment.
That’s when I discovered the real reason for my ‘hearing problems’. Some autistic people have sensory processing issues. In my case, I find it hard to process speech, especially when more anxious than usual.
Final thoughts
In my experience, the NHS only investigates what I ask them about.
- When I said I could not hear properly, they tested my hearing. But they failed to investigate the true cause: autism-related sensory processing problems.
- When I said I believed I was autistic, they assessed me for autism. But they failed to consider ADHD. (So far, my ADHD is self-diagnosed. But I’m 99% sure I’m correct, like I was about being autistic.)
I wish there was a bit more ‘joined-up thinking’ in the system, and that they were better at identifying the true causes.
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