Neurodiversity / Aural Diversity: Through the Lens of a Pandemic

The Intersection of Aural Diversity and Neurodiversity: Where do they overlap in the context of a pandemic? 

Right after lockdown, where things here in London began to slowly re-open and I was readjusting to the new day to day schedules, I noticed a difference in how I functioned; everything felt very foggy and much more sensitive to my ears and to my brain. Throughout all this, I learned that sound became a key trigger for my brain and memory.

For context, I have a type of dyslexia that directly affects my memory index, so, when I am presented with a step-by-step process, big or small, my brain struggles hold all the information without proper repetition or reiteration from the source. So during this frame of time, I noticed my daily patterns change slowly in order to accustom the fogginess of my memory. I became so used to one sonic environment that even the minuscule changes became noticeable to me and I began to hear them more more. It was like I was training and perfecting my deep-listening.

This period gave me the opportunity to study my brain and its’ functionality; it was an auraltypical challenge. During this study I questioned where my dyslexia, specifically where my memory comes into play and how it was affecting me at that time. Enabling me to learn about my specific aural processing and production patterns. Leading me to ask the same question for any neurotypical person; has living in a pandemic and experiencing harsh lockdowns forced you to relearn or readjust your functionality as a neurodivergent person?  

To approach this question, I broke my research down into three important sections; understanding how one hears sound differently: aural diversity, and understanding how one processes sound differently: neurodiversity. The third section is a study on the affects of isolation on the brain in the context of a pandemic.  

Aural Diversity covers the infinite variation of how one may hear sound.  Everyone hears differently, from the shape of our ears to the way our brain functions, no one truly hears the exact same way. In fact, our ears are just as individual and unique as our fingerprints. Throughout life one will experience changes in hearing through various personal experiences; age, sickness, injury, etc. Though most people will experience “normal hearing” at a period of time in their life, roughly 1.1 billion people expand the study of aural diversity when taking hearing and auditorial conditions into account. Aural diversity became abundantly clear to me when I realized how integral sound became in order trigger my memory. 

Neurodiversity simply put is used to describe those with developmental or perceptional conditions and disabilities. Oxford Dictionary defines it as the range of differences in individuals brain function and behavioral traits, regarded as part of normal variation in the human population (used especially in the context of autistic spectrum disorders). Some of those other functional differences being ADHD, dyslexia, ADD, Dyspraxia, and a number of others. Largely 20% of our global population are neurodivergent. People who live with these conditions often learn how to adapt to a “neurotypical” environment by learning how their brain specifically functions and putting in the extra effort to learn how they process and absorb sound or information. For many this option is unavailable or extremely difficult by the way ones’ brain become over stimulated simply won’t absorb the information expected. Sound being one of our key senses. terms like “active and passive listening” are often used when covering listening the absorption of information, but these terms can become harmful when in the wrong context. It is a structure that implies a specific way to intake information when neurodivergent people may not have that as an option. Listening and intaking information is a process that is unique for everyone. 

From experiencing this brain fogginess and sensitivity, I began to wonder really how self-isolation began to affect my brain. Harvard health commenced a small study in 2020 and found that nearly 60% of people with processing or cognitive impairments experienced a worsening of their condition or a delirium. Neuroscientist Lorena Ragonesi explains the affects of social isolation and how it directly affects the brain, 

“…they suggest that social isolation and the feeling of loneliness can impair brain function and cognition. Humans are social animals, just like most other mammals so the lack of social interaction can adversely impact our health. Three brain areas have shown the most significant changes in social isolation and loneliness studies, the prefrontal cortex, the hippocampus, and the amygdala. The prefrontal cortex is an area that mediates executive function, it is the primary site for conscious decision making, personality, and social behavior. The hippocampus is known for its role in conscious decision making, memory, learning, and emotional processing. The amygdala plays a major role in your emotional state.” 

With this information, it is clear to see that any human who experienced a harsh self isolation during the pandemic, neurodiergent or not, was directly affected. 

This is where my question becomes visible; if every brain could feel the neurological effects of the pandemic, how specifically did it affect any person who lives with a neurodivergent condition? In conclusion, there is not a definitive answer to the effects of isolation on the human brain and its functionality, not yet. From this experience, the opportunity to learn about the diverse way our brains and bodies intake information has proven to be the central point. Focusing on the intersection of aural and neurodiversity, my studies have presented a handful of individual experiences and how they were managed. Audibility is a very fluid topic that cannot be defined by a single experience, so in a global event such as the pandemic, I aimed to gain insight and perspective in my research.