# Autism, Asperger's, and Hearing Voices



## Ace Face

I'm not particularly sure as to whether or not this is the right forum for this, but here I go anyway. 

I am fairly well acquainted with a couple of autistic people and am also close to a person with Asperger's. As I've talked with these people, I've really begun to notice a pattern. These particular people I know all hear voices from time to time. Of course, I started doing some research to see if this was indeed a commonality, and it would appear that it actually is. Doctors are really quick to slap these people with the lable of "schizophrenic," but is that really what's going on? Is it really mental illness? I'm not personally convinced. To me, the most likely theory is that their brains are naturally wired and tapped into the spiritual realm. 

I was just curious about a few things. 

1. Does anyone know someone who has experienced this? If yes, do you believe this person is "mentally ill"? 

2. What do you think is the the reason for the link between autism, asperger's, and hearing voices? 

3. Do you have any other thoughts or opinions on this topic?


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## Who

There is a difference between the way people with autism spectrum disorders typically hear voices that aren't there and the way schizophrenics hear voices that aren't there. Schizophrenics tend to simply hear voices with no external cause. On the other hand, people with autism spectrum disorders often have auditory processing disorders. This means they hear things that _are_ there, but they perceive it differently than most people, which can lead to things like mistaking a dog barking in the distance for a voice saying something.


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## blackpeppergeneral

*1. Does anyone know someone who has experienced this? If yes, do you believe this person is "mentally ill"? 
*I have experienced this under extreme conditions (I presume it to be from stress), though have not being diagnosed with either Autism or Asperger's - I have related to quite a few symptoms of Asperger's.
I have not spoken to a professional about this as it does not occur enough to affect my day-to-day living.

*2. What do you think is the the reason for the link between autism, asperger's, and hearing voices? 
*I don't have an answer for this, I am afraid.

*3. Do you have any other thoughts or opinions on this topic?
*I have two friends with Asperger's and both have not mentioned hearing voices before.


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## MrMagpie

As a person who has been diagnosed with Asperger's and who does occasionally 'hear voices', I would say that @_Who_'s explanation is spot-on, at least as far as I know. The voices a Schizophrenic person hears are auditory hallucinations with no external source, while the voices a person with Autism hears are due to their brain's issues with auditory processing. A dog barking will sound like a voice speaking, laughter will sound like crying, etc.


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## Cyphyr

Interesting thread. My husband has Asperger's and he's mentioned a number of times that he heard voices when he was younger. I believe most the instances he was talking about were while he was reading particularly intense novels that strongly tapped his emotions. Though he has also expressed trouble differentiating sounds as a few other posters have mentioned.
I cant offer any additional thoughts on causality or on the link between the two, but I certainly wouldnt consider my husband schizophrenic.


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## Mange

1. Does anyone know someone who has experienced this? If yes, do you believe this person is "mentally ill"? 
Yes, I have/am aspergers-y. No. I am not ill. I question it all the time though.. Who knows. Probably not. 

2. What do you think is the the reason for the link between autism, asperger's, and hearing voices? 
People on the autism spectrum disorder are known for things like photographic memory, I think that the hearing things is probably the same type of thing. I sometimes hear my name in my head in a way that is not similar to what it's like when I think it. I don't think it's schizophrenia, I think it's a clear-as-a-bell memory. 

3. Do you have any other thoughts or opinions on this topic?
Hm. Well things like this, anything about abnormal psychology, makes me think about indigo and rainbow children. The idea of people being labled as mentally ill, perhaps being a misunderstanding by science and psychology as something in the realm of esp... I've looked into it a fair amount... A lot of the traits between indigo/rainbow/etc children are similar/the same as people with mental illnesses like autism and aspergers and bpd and schizophrenia. I can't say I know anything concrete about it, to me it's all speculation, and not something I can easily ignore, hence my continued interest on the subject.


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## Mange

Who said:


> they hear things that _are_ there, but they perceive it differently than most people, which can lead to things like mistaking a dog barking in the distance for a voice saying something.


this happened to me the other day. I was walking down the street with my bicycle, and someone shouted something that sounded like "Get a job." at the time i didn't have a job, and felt depressed about it.. I didnt recognize the car, so the person driving probably didnt know that i dont have one. i have no idea what they said. but at the time i was convinced that that was what they said, and it wasnt until recently that i decided that probably wasnt what they said. 

on that note, does this sound like a mental disorder?


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## MrMagpie

thankxxyou said:


> 1. Does anyone know someone who has experienced this? If yes, do you believe this person is "mentally ill"?
> Yes, I have/am aspergers-y. No. I am not ill. I question it all the time though.. Who knows. Probably not.
> 
> 2. What do you think is the the reason for the link between autism, asperger's, and hearing voices?
> People on the autism spectrum disorder are known for things like photographic memory, I think that the hearing things is probably the same type of thing. I sometimes hear my name in my head in a way that is not similar to what it's like when I think it. I don't think it's schizophrenia, I think it's a clear-as-a-bell memory.
> 
> 3. Do you have any other thoughts or opinions on this topic?
> Hm. Well things like this, anything about abnormal psychology, makes me think about indigo and rainbow children. The idea of people being labled as mentally ill, perhaps being a misunderstanding by science and psychology as something in the realm of esp... I've looked into it a fair amount... A lot of the traits between indigo/rainbow/etc children are similar/the same as people with mental illnesses like autism and aspergers and bpd and schizophrenia. I can't say I know anything concrete about it, to me it's all speculation, and not something I can easily ignore, hence my continued interest on the subject.


I think 'rainbow children' just like to be called gay nowadays.


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## pinkrasputin

Most religious people I know claim to "hear voices".


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## Ace Face

pinkrasputin said:


> Most religious people I know claim to "hear voices".


I see. And do you believe they are mentally ill because of it?


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## pinkrasputin

Ace Face said:


> I see. And do you believe they are mentally ill because of it?


No. I do not.


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## petite libellule

well my son is on the spectrum with autism. I don't think he hears voices but I really couldn't tell you (nor could he). 

I think the correlation might be because with autism, auditory processing dysfunction is prevalent(common).

I think it's one of those things when you're a little kid in the dark all freaked out with no night light, and the bunched up blanket looks like the boogie monster ... I think it's like that. 

If there is an auditory processing issue, I think some sounds might be misperceived and the brain (as with all peoples brains) fills in the blanks so to speak to make it make sense (to the person) so ... I don't think autism, aspergers etc. hear voices in the way that schizophrenia patients do or in any overly religious significant way. I'm not discrediting anyone's spiritual experiences. Just I don't think there is any correlation w/ autism specifically w/ that.


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## Diphenhydramine

Sometimes I hear my own voice inside my head trying to talk to me. I assumed this is relatively normal, though.


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## StElmosDream

Bit unsure about hearing voices as an autistic but I do hear more sounds* or notice auditory hallucinations such as thinking I heard a cellphone noise or random sounds occasionally (mostly when anxious or awaiting a call, email or text but some seem to suggest 'willing something to happen' can make it seem so).

*Sound sensitivity can be an issue at times, when some autistics are prone to experiencing a heightened sense of hearing (well any sense can be stronger or 'within normal ranges'); instead of hearing 'one sound' like many do by learning to filter out noise, many more noises can be heard at once... for me up to 4 conversations at once or mechanical noises others are unaware of such as moving parts creaking.


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## Entropic

I can sometimes hear things and later realize I did not hear anything at all. It can be people talking, sound alarms going off such as my phone or music. It's never loud though but always quite distant, but I can never tell it's distant until I realize it's not loud and thus not natural. I don't know the cause for this but it doesn't affect my daily life to the point where I feel I must seek help. It doesn't happen very often either. 

I have once asked a therapist if I had autism but he said no, although I do identify with a few of the criteria for diagnosis. It should be added that I'm an INTP though, so that probably explains quite a bit why. I can also sometimes experience compulsions to do things that are not normal - especially with regards to eating. I can for example suddenly feel overwhelmed to eat or drink something you definitely shouldn't eat or drink such as soap water or somesuch. I never do it, but if this is what schizofrenics experience to a much more extreme degree when feeling forced to do things outside their control, then yes, I can part relate and understand.

I don't consider myself mentally ill (yet), though.


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## donkeybals

Ace Face said:


> I'm not particularly sure as to whether or not this is the right forum for this, but here I go anyway.
> 
> I am fairly well acquainted with a couple of autistic people and am also close to a person with Asperger's. As I've talked with these people, I've really begun to notice a pattern. These particular people I know all hear voices from time to time. Of course, I started doing some research to see if this was indeed a commonality, and it would appear that it actually is. Doctors are really quick to slap these people with the lable of "schizophrenic," but is that really what's going on? Is it really mental illness? I'm not personally convinced. To me, the most likely theory is that their brains are naturally wired and tapped into the spiritual realm.
> 
> I was just curious about a few things.
> 
> 1. Does anyone know someone who has experienced this? If yes, do you believe this person is "mentally ill"?
> 
> 2. What do you think is the the reason for the link between autism, asperger's, and hearing voices?
> 
> 3. Do you have any other thoughts or opinions on this topic?


Well, I believe there are people who are really mentally ill, but I think "hearing voices" from time to time, is normal. To be schizophrenic, you have to be friggin' nuts. There was this one guy who always used to come into my store, who talked to the air. I always assumed he was just lonely after this, if you talked to him, he wouldn't shut up. But long story short, he'd qualify for having schizphrenia, the real kind. 

I think, most people, just need someone to listen to them, from time to time, to be honest. And/or don't know how to cope with society or life well, so they just get fed drugs to calm them down. I'm not a doctor though, this is just my opinion.


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## jeffbobs

You would have to be able to explain why and how these people are tapping into the spiritual world. Also why people who put their baby in the oven to burn out satan are crazy. Or each and every combination...1 being crazy 1 being spiritual...or all being spiritual. or all being crazy.

I would hazzard a guess that it is some form of dissociative identity disorder. the inability to be able to discern their own voice as their own in their head


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## Brian1

There's a pattern of famous religious people like Joan of Arc, St. Paul, Joseph Smith,Harriet Tubman, religious visions, and epilepsy. I'm a what diagnosis did this famous person have researcher.


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## nevermore

donkeybals said:


> Well, I believe there are people who are really mentally ill, but I think "hearing voices" from time to time, is normal.


Yeah...something like that can happen for a whole bunch of reasons. It happens to me sometimes when I don't get enough sleep. Sleep paralysis has also made me "hear voices". And I haven't been diagnosed with Asperger's or Schizophrenia (or anything else serious really) in spite of having spent a lot of time in psychotherapy. I think it's only when it happens out of the blue (and more than once or twice) that you ought to be concerned.


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## D.A.

yes, my 9yr. old son has said a few time that he hears voices. Ive been searching on the net to see if something like this is normal. He was diagnosed with autism, just before x-mas.


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## Glenda Gnome Starr

I too once asked a therapist if I had autism and was told no. What I do have is sensory processing disorder. My senses are just extremely sensitive and I get overstimulated easily, just like many people with autism. But I am an isfp and I have a strong preference for Se so my senses are that much more open and more easily overstimulated.
I don't have pica, however. I can't imagine feeling compelled to eat nonfood, although I do enjoy chewing on plants and leaves.



LeaT said:


> I can sometimes hear things and later realize I did not hear anything at all. It can be people talking, sound alarms going off such as my phone or music. It's never loud though but always quite distant, but I can never tell it's distant until I realize it's not loud and thus not natural. I don't know the cause for this but it doesn't affect my daily life to the point where I feel I must seek help. It doesn't happen very often either.
> 
> I have once asked a therapist if I had autism but he said no, although I do identify with a few of the criteria for diagnosis. It should be added that I'm an INTP though, so that probably explains quite a bit why. I can also sometimes experience compulsions to do things that are not normal - especially with regards to eating. I can for example suddenly feel overwhelmed to eat or drink something you definitely shouldn't eat or drink such as soap water or somesuch. I never do it, but if this is what schizofrenics experience to a much more extreme degree when feeling forced to do things outside their control, then yes, I can part relate and understand.
> 
> I don't consider myself mentally ill (yet), though.


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## RobynC

Uh, I have AS and I don't hear voices


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