Development and validation of a paediatric version of the Khalfa Hyperacusis Questionnaire for children with and without autism.

Researchers created a questionnaire to help identify when children are overly sensitive to sounds (hyperacusis). They tested it with parents of 64 autistic children and 37 non-autistic children, plus therapists. The questionnaire showed good reliability and could be useful for screening sound sensitivity in autistic children. More research is needed to determine what scores indicate a problem.

This 2023 study developed and validated a paediatric version of the Khalfa Hyperacusis Questionnaire (P-HQ) to measure decreased sound tolerance in children. Eleven therapists and 101 parents (64 with autistic children, 37 without) participated in the cross-sectional validation study. The P-HQ demonstrated good internal consistency and showed promise as a screening tool for identifying decreased sound tolerance in autism. All questionnaire items displayed adequate psychometric properties and theoretical relevance to hyperacusis.

The researchers noted that hyperacusis occurs in 3.2-17.1% of typically developing children, with higher rates in clinical populations like autism. Further research is needed to establish normative data and validate cut-off scores for clinical use.

The P-HQ represents a promising first step toward standardized assessment of hyperacusis in children with autism. Clinicians should await further validation studies before using for diagnostic purposes. The tool may eventually support better identification of sound sensitivity issues and inform intervention planning.

Study requires further research to establish normative data and validate cut-off scores. Cross-sectional design limits understanding of sensitivity changes over time. No comparison of P-HQ scores between ASD and non-ASD groups was reported, despite collecting data from both populations.

Hyperacusis is reported to occur in 3.2-17.1% of the general paediatric population with higher rates in clinical populations such as autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Although hyperacusis is a relatively common form of decreased sound tolerance (DST), no valid paediatric hyperacusis measures are currently available. The purpose of the present study was to develop and validate a paediatric version of the Khalfa Hyperacusis Questionnaire (HQ) as a first step towards filling this measurement gap. A cross-sectional design was used to evaluate therapist opinions of the paediatric version (P-HQ) and to field test the P-HQ in parents of children with and without ASD.

Total scores were compared between ASD and non-ASD groups. Eleven paediatric occupational and speech therapists with expertise in ASD, 64 parents of children with ASD and 37 parents of children without ASD completed online questionnaires. Psychometric analyses were conducted. A unidimensional construct was found underlying P-HQ and all items displayed sufficient theoretical relevance to hyperacusis and adequate psychometric properties.

The P-HQ demonstrates good internal consistency and shows promise as a potential screening tool for identifying DST in ASD. Further research is warranted to establish normative data and validate cut-off scores.