A ‘cool’ sound is causing unexpected reactions among neurodivergent people

NOTE: NOT SURE WHAT THE NOISE IS, I MEAN IF THAT'S ACTUALLY A PIECE OF IRON OR NOT. 

A particular noise, trending on TikTok, is apparently found to be soothing for all neurodivergent people. A man named Neil Henry, who goes by @theneilhenry on TikTok, tested it with his wife, Charlie Elizabeth, and was shocked by the results. He posted the video on January 3, which has over 3k views on his profile. Turns out 'sound stimuli' is a big deal in the neurodivergent community.

It was basically a small piece of iron, with welding carried out at its center, producing visible sparks. Along with bright flashes of sparks, it also created a very high-frequency noise, which is seemingly soothing to all neurodivergent people. The minute Henry played the video, he seemed to be lost in the sound, whereas his wife looked visibly bothered by it. Henry's expressions were loud as he continued watching; in fact, it appeared as if he was hypnotized by the noise. He didn't even wink once throughout the video, and looked like he was actually enjoying it and finding it peaceful. On the other hand, his wife, Elizabeth, couldn't tolerate the noise. She could be seen making weird faces throughout. "I don't think I even blinked," Henry said, reflecting on his wild, unexpected reaction to the noise. While we aren't sure if this particular noise is actually helpful for neurodivergent people, several scientific studies have confirmed that sound stimuli positively influence motor responses in them.

Lead researcher Jesus Siqueiros wanted to test whether sound can help autistic children balance well. So, he worked with two groups of kids aged between 6 and 12, comprising autistic children and typically developing children. Both groups had to perform a tandem stance task with noise and without noise. This type of task involves standing with one foot placed in front of the other (heel-to-toe) for up to 60 seconds. Consequently, it was observed that autistic children could stand for a longer time in the presence of background noise. Whereas  typically developing children were able to stand for the maximum time, with or without noise. But for both groups, it was seen that their body movements became steadier when noise was played.

Meanwhile, reacting to the apparent noise that makes neurodivergent people excited, @miles.selman commented, "This feels different for 2 types of neurodivergence. ADHD vs. autism: ADHD people love it, and autistic people hate it. (Of course, it’s not a blanket statement, and everyone is different.) The overstimulation is what gets me (as an autistic person)." @chonky.panda said, "I can't stand the flashing light, but I love the sound. Hmm, I wonder if this is why I like those little flower fireworks that spin really fast in a circle and make a similar sound? I highly suspect I have autism."

Similarly, @pitbullnatsu shared, "I work with these machines every day... it is the coolest sound ever. Different materials make different sounds. That's even cooler." However, @adventures_in_nursing wrote, "Immediately no. I would say that many neurodivergents with noise/sound aversion would find this sort of stimulus quite annoying, possibly to the point of distress. @heidinorth90 confessed, "I love that sound; it blocked out the continuous noise in my brain, which means I can’t process or think straight."

You can follow Neil Henry (@theneilhenry) on TikTok for more lifestyle content.

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