The shrill chorus of cicadas—Shhhooo. Wee-uuu. Chick, chick, chick—fills the air with the arrival of summer, marking both fascination and frustration. For Warren Rickly, a 14-year-old with autism in suburban south St. Louis County, Missouri, these insects bring unbearable discomfort. Recently, while waiting at the bus stop with his mother, Jamie Reed, Warren likened their relentless buzzing to a constant nearby train, the noise piercing and painful.

This year, trillions of cicadas emerged across the Midwest and Southeast in a rare convergence of two broods—one appearing every 13 years, the other every 17. The cacophony they create can be particularly distressing for individuals with autism, who often experience heightened sensitivity to textures, brightness, and sounds.

Dr. Rachel Follmer, a developmental and behavioral pediatrician at Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago, explains that for people on the autism spectrum, sensory differences like these can escalate to physical discomfort. The sound of cicadas, which can reach volumes as high as 86 decibels—comparable to a food blender—exemplifies this sensory overload.

To help children like Warren cope, Dr. Follmer suggests preparing them ahead of noisy encounters, such as with cicadas, by explaining what to expect and providing strategies like noise-canceling headphones or calming music.

Warren's family has adopted such strategies, with him delving into research about cicadas to ground himself amid the discomfort. Jamie Reed notes that understanding the insects has helped her son manage his anxiety.

For others, like those with tinnitus—a condition causing perception of ringing or buzzing in the ears—the cicadas' song can exacerbate symptoms. Dr. Fatima Husain, a neuroscientist at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, explains that while some find the cicadas' noise a soothing distraction from internal sounds, for others with tinnitus, it may worsen their condition temporarily.

Despite their loud presence, cicadas generally do not pose a lasting threat to hearing, as their noise levels and duration are not sufficient for permanent damage, according to Dr. Husain. In contrast, everyday urban noises like highways and appliances pose higher risks.

Fortunately, the cicadas' stay is short-lived. Most will disappear within a few weeks, just in time for other summer festivities.

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