Listening beyond the noise: an interpretative phenomenological analysis of mental fatigue and restoration in neurodivergent students’ acoustical environments

This study explored how neurodivergent university students make sense of their experiences with sound during self-directed research. Drawing on Attention Restoration Theory (ART), it examined how participants interpret mental fatigue and restoration in their acoustical environments. A qualitative approach was adopted using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to centre the lived experiences of participants. ART served as a sensitising framework to support interpretation without driving analysis. Six Students who self-identified as Autistic, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD; hereafter ‘ADHDer’), or as both Autistic and ADHD (‘AuDHDers’) took part in one-to-one semi-structured interviews conducted online. Participants were recruited through purposive sampling to form a homogeneous group. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using IPA. Three Group Experiential Themes emerged: Acoustical Control as Cognitive Safety, Restoration is Not Silence, and Navigating Mental Fatigue. Participants described how sound shaped their capacity to focus, regulate emotion, and feel secure in learning spaces. Specifically, they emphasised the importance of predictability, symbolic resonance, and personal control over their soundscape. Silence, when imposed, was experienced as emotionally taxing rather than restorative. The findings extend ART into the auditory domain by proposing acoustical compatibility as a core restorative mechanism, referring to the degree to which acoustical environments deliver predictability, personal salience, and the ability to shape and manage sound. The current findings raise important considerations for educational policy and future research into sensory inclusion. Self-directed study spaces are fundamental to university education; however, their academic environments are seldom designed with neurodivergent students in mind. This research examines how neurodivergent students interpret sound during self-directed study. The results emphasise that restoration relies on predictable and meaningful soundscapes. By introducing the concept of acoustical compatibility, this study expands Attention Restoration Theory into the auditory domain. Implementing these insights may facilitate the development of study environments that are more inclusive, accessible, and supportive of a diverse array of users.