Do you struggle to hear your conversation partner in a noisy restaurant?

Do you struggle to hear your conversation partner in a noisy restaurant?

Sample: 12 individuals with autism, 10 individuals with fetal alcohol syndrome (developmental issues in children due to alcohol use before and during pregnancy), 27 neurotypical individuals in the control group.

All participants underwent IQ testing (some neurodivergent individuals scored higher than some in the control group) and audiological screening - everyone had clinically normal hearing. Next, they completed a task: recognizing a single voice speaking about the color characteristics of objects, while two other voices spoke in the background.

Shown: all groups showed a significant link between successfully perceiving the target voice and intellectual ability. So, if someone struggles to understand speech in a restaurant or other noisy setting, it’s not always about hearing loss.

You can still hit like even with a low IQ.

Link to an article.