--- title: Cicada Emergence Could Affect People on the Autism Spectrum description: As more than a trillion cicadas emerge this month, experts warn that people on the autism spectrum may find the insects’ noise overwhelming. canonical: https://time.com/6982204/cicadas-emergence-2024-noise-autism-impact/ author: Chantelle Lee article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2024-05-24T18:01:25.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-01-19T14:08:30.000Z article:section: Health og:title: Cicada Emergence Could Affect People on the Autism Spectrum og:description: Experts warn that people sensitive to sound may find the cicada emergence overwhelming. og:url: https://time.com/6982204/cicadas-emergence-2024-noise-autism-impact/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf8c36f72e9f36ce0/698a574109208f84e341d315/Cicadas-Noise-Impact.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1024 og:image:height: 576 og:image:alt: US-ENVIRONMENT-ANIMAL-CICADAS og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Cicada Emergence Could Affect People on the Autism Spectrum twitter:description: Experts warn that people sensitive to sound may find the cicada emergence overwhelming. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf8c36f72e9f36ce0/698a574109208f84e341d315/Cicadas-Noise-Impact.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # How Trillions of Buzzy Cicadas Will Affect People on the Autism Spectrum > Sponsored content. 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Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ## Video: An Animated Guide to the Rare 2024 Cicada Co-Emergence [Watch (HLS stream): An Animated Guide to the Rare 2024 Cicada Co-Emergence](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/EmP1OKcl.m3u8) (2:12)  _Published 2024-04-22. More than a trillion cicadas are set to emerge from underground this spring to embark on the final leg of their lifetimes, in a massive co-emergence that hasn't been seen in more than 200 years. Here’s an animated look at what will happen in the upcoming emergence of Brood XIX and Brood XIII._ by [Chantelle Lee](https://time.com/author/chantelle-lee/) ## Chantelle Lee Reporter Updated: Jan 19, 2026 2:08 PM UTCPublished: May 24, 2024 6:01 PM UTC  Cicadas from brood XIX are seen on a tree in Angelville, Georgia on May 23, 2024. Cicadas from brood XIX are seen on a tree in Angelville, Georgia on May 23, 2024. Elijah Nouvelage—AFP/Getty Images by [Chantelle Lee](https://time.com/author/chantelle-lee/) ## Chantelle Lee Reporter Updated: Jan 19, 2026 2:08 PM UTCPublished: May 24, 2024 6:01 PM UTC As more than a trillion cicadas emerge from underground this month, experts warn that people on the autism spectrum or who are sensitive to sound may find the insects’ noise overwhelming. The large co-emergence of cicadas from both a 13-year and 17-year brood this spring is the first of its kind in more than 200 years. The emergence has already [begun](https://www.nbcchicago.com/cicadas-illinois-chicago-2024/how-long-will-cicadas-last-in-illinois-what-to-expect-with-2024-emergence/3443784/) in some regions, and the cicadas will be visible in several states, including Illinois, Iowa, Georgia, and Tennessee. The emergence is expected to [last until June](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2024/05/22/2024-cicada-map/73784515007/). **Read More:** [_An Animated Guide to the Rare 2024 Cicada Co-Emergence_](https://time.com/6968210/cicada-brood-emergence-animation-2024/) Once they emerge, male cicadas sing a mating call to attract female cicadas. Because of the insects’ large presence, the continuous and high-pitched buzzing sound can be loud; the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention](https://blogs.cdc.gov/niosh-science-blog/2021/07/20/noise-myths-cicada/) (CDC) said that there were reports of noise levels reaching as high as 90 to 100 decibels in 2021\. In April, the cicadas were so loud in a South Carolina county that residents called the sheriff’s office to ask why they were hearing sirens or a loud roar, [Associated Press](https://apnews.com/article/noisy-cicadas-south-carolina-police-39f2bd760a51c8c1d28d88b12473840e) reported. The cicada noise does not cause hearing loss, according to the CDC. But researchers warn that the sound may be[ overwhelming](https://news.northwestern.edu/stories/2024/05/prepping-autistic-or-sound-sensitive-kids-for-cicada-noise) for the nearly [5.5 million people in the U.S.](https://psychnews.psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.pn.2024.05.5.40) who have autism spectrum disorder and are sensitive to sound. People who are on the autism spectrum may be sensitive to certain sensory experiences, Dr. Rachel Follmer, an assistant professor of developmental behavioral pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, tells TIME. Unexpected loud sounds in particular, like sirens or blenders, can be upsetting for some people on the spectrum. Because of this, some people on the spectrum may be sensitive to the noise or sight of the cicada emergence, Follmer says. “With the expected emergence and volume of cicadas that are expected to emerge, there’s a potential for it to be quite loud when you go outside, which would be kind of an unexpected change,” Follmer says. “Both the volume of the noise and the fact that that’s not their normal experience could potentially be a big trigger for those individuals who are on the spectrum or even just individuals who are not on the spectrum but have sound sensitivities.” Follmer, who is also a physician at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, offers several steps that parents can take to prepare their children, who may be more sensitive to the cicada noise. Those steps could include watching YouTube videos or listening to audio clips with children to familiarize them with the sounds and developing a plan of what to do if the sound is overwhelming, such as having headphones or earplugs readily available. Parents could also show their children photos of cicadas to explain what they are and why they’re emerging. Follmer also suggests using[ social stories](https://www.autismparentingmagazine.com/social-stories-for-autistic-children/#What%5Fis%5Fa%5FSocial%5FStory)—which are narratives that walk children through a situation and what they can expect—to help children prepare. “It kind of walks through all of the different steps and even talks about things that are going to be aversive,” Follmer says of social stories. “With the cicadas, you would be like ‘when we go outside, it’s going to be a lot noisier than normal, that might hurt your ears, you might feel nervous or scared.’ And then walk through like, what can that child do?” “For most children, the more information they have, the more they know about something, the more they are able to kind of understand and cope with those situations,” she continues. Follmer adds that the emergence could also affect people who are not on the autism spectrum, but have sensory sensitivities. “We all can have sensory experiences that we don’t tolerate as well,” Follmer says. “I think the difference is, for many individuals on the spectrum, is it’s more intense in how that impacts their lives.” ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/6982204/cicadas-emergence-2024-noise-autism-impact/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/6982204/cicadas-emergence-2024-noise-autism-impact/"},"headline":"How Trillions of Buzzy Cicadas Will Affect People on the Autism Spectrum","datePublished":"2024-05-24T18:01:25.000Z","dateModified":"2026-01-19T14:08:30.000Z","description":"As more than a trillion cicadas emerge this month, experts warn that people on the autism spectrum may find the insects’ noise overwhelming.","url":"https://time.com/6982204/cicadas-emergence-2024-noise-autism-impact/","keywords":["Autism","News Desk"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf8c36f72e9f36ce0/698a574109208f84e341d315/Cicadas-Noise-Impact.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Chantelle Lee","jobTitle":"Reporter","url":"https://time.com/author/chantelle-lee/"}],"articleSection":"Health","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf8c36f72e9f36ce0/698a574109208f84e341d315/Cicadas-Noise-Impact.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"US-ENVIRONMENT-ANIMAL-CICADAS","caption":"US-ENVIRONMENT-ANIMAL-CICADAS","creditText":"Elijah Nouvelage—AFP/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/health/","name":"Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/autism/","name":"Autism"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/6982204/cicadas-emergence-2024-noise-autism-impact/","name":"How Trillions of Buzzy Cicadas Will Affect People on the Autism Spectrum"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"An Animated Guide to the Rare 2024 Cicada Co-Emergence","description":"More than a trillion cicadas are set to emerge from underground this spring to embark on the final leg of their lifetimes, in a massive co-emergence that hasn't been seen in more than 200 years. 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