Effect of sound absorption on performance in cognitive tasks: Focusing on characteristics of subjects with developmental disabilities

Children with developmental disabilities often experience hearing-related difficulties in learning environments. Despite this, there has been little consideration given to acoustic design for these children in Japan. The aim of this study is to investigate how ambient noise affects the cognitive performance of individuals with developmental disabilities, and to examine whether sound absorption in the room can help mitigate any negative effects. To conduct the experiment, college students were randomly selected instead of children with developmental disabilities, due to ethical considerations. Subjects completed four cognitive tasks under a loud noise level of approximately 80 dB, which was assumed to be a corresponding condition experienced by children with auditory sensitivity. The results showed that the condition with sound-absorbing in the room resulted in higher scores overall. Subjects with developmental disabilities tended to score lower than those without, and tended to score relatively higher on some cognitive tasks under conditions where sound-absorbing material was installed. While further study is needed, these findings suggest that using sound-absorbing materials may have a positive impact on individuals with developmental disabilities.