The effect of visual perceptual load on auditory awareness in autism spectrum disorder.

Tillmann et al. (2015) asked kids with autism to do a hard visual search on a screen.

At the same time the computer played quiet beeps.

The kids had to press a key when they heard a beep.

Typically developing peers did the same task.

Even when the visual part filled up their attention, autistic kids still caught almost every beep.

The other kids missed more sounds as the pictures got harder.

The study says autistic learners have extra room in their "perceptual cup" for both sights and sounds.

Durbin et al. (2019) later saw the same thing in real classrooms.

Autistic pupils remembered extra wall posters while still learning the lesson, showing the extra capacity helps, not hurts, when pictures relate to the goal.

Miller et al. (2014) looks like the opposite: autistic kids were slower on tough visual tasks.

The gap is about task type.

Julian used simple detection (hear beep = press).

Louisa used fine discrimination (tell if line tilts left or right).

Detection stays fast; fine choices take longer.

Levin et al. (2014) adds the ceiling rule: visual search strength in autism drops once the display is packed with items, matching the idea that extra capacity has limits.

You can stop stripping the room bare.

Keep lesson-linked posters and accept that background sounds will still be noticed.

Instead of fighting the extra intake, give it a job: let the learner use relevant pictures or quiet headphones with instructional audio.

Check that tasks stay at detection level when speed matters, and allow extra response time when you add fine choices.