Functional Listening Experiences of Autistic College Students: A Qualitative Study of Real-World Listening Demands

Autistic individuals frequently report auditory processing differences, including difficulty perceiving speech in noise and heightened sound sensitivity. Although increased listening effort has been documented in autistic children, little is known about how autistic college students experience listening demands in higher education. This qualitative study explored the lived listening experiences of autistic college students across academic and everyday contexts.

Eighteen autistic adults (ages 18-39 years) enrolled in or recently graduated from university programs participated in semistructured interviews via Zoom. Interviews explored listening experiences across classroom environments and everyday contexts. Reflexive thematic analysis following Braun and Clarke's six-phase framework identified patterns and themes within the participant narratives.

Five themes were generated through analysis: (1) affective cycle of listening, (2) strategic cognitive management of listening, (3) environmental contexts shape listening experiences, (4) social risk and stigma, and (5) inherent and developed listening strengths.

Listening effort may represent an underrecognized barrier to educational participation for autistic college students. The present findings extend the existing frameworks of effortful listening by illustrating how cognitive, emotional, sensory, and social factors interact to shape listening experiences in real-world contexts. Importantly, these findings illustrate the value of incorporating lived experiences to better reflect the variability and subjective nature of listening, which traditional assessments may not fully reflect. For clinicians and educators, considering the contexts in which listening occurs alongside patient-reported experiences may support a more comprehensive understanding of listening-related demands and extend considerations beyond traditional auditory accommodations to improve education and communication participation.