## 4 Discussion  
This feasibility study is the first to explore the use of SoundFields as a means of addressing auditory hypersensitivity within a home environment. This provided the opportunity to not only evaluate the intervention as a desensitisation framework but also, importantly, to gain an understanding of how participants naturally engage with the game environment and mechanics within a home environment. The software evaluated over the course of the 10-week study was successful at reducing negative emotional responses towards target auditory stimuli for five of the seven participants (71%). This is noticeable from the decrease in SRER recorded at the pre- and post-intervention sessions displayed in Figures 2 and 3. These results are supported by previous research that utilised the SoundFields framework [38; 39]. However, it is important to note that each participant experienced varying amounts of reduction (see Figure 4). One possible explanation for this variance could be the amount of stimuli each child interactedwith over the course of the 10-weeks, with those focusing on just the singular target stimuli (P01) experiencing the highest levels of reduction. This study expanded upon previous research to understand the impact of the intervention upon the lives of the participants outside of the experiment. This was achieved through exit interviews involving the participants and their parents. Parental feedback indicated that there was an overall improvement in the child's reaction towards difficult sounds following the intervention, with one stating that the participant can visit the local town despite it being difficult in the past. In addition to providing some support for the SRE measurements, this is consistent with previous studies that utilise systematic desensitisation methods to target auditory hypersensitivity, resulting in participants being able to visit acoustic environments not possible prior to the intervention [43]. However, it is important to note that, although promising, it is not possible to eliminate other contributing factors, such as observer bias, or other changes in the child's environment. Similar to their neurotypical peers, autistic children enjoy engaging with and playing computer games during their spare time [44; 45]. Because of this, many digital interventions deliver therapeutics by utilising a game-based approach, the aim of which is to maximise the motivation of the child to repeatedly interact with the system over time. This is a critical factor of SoundFields as interaction with exposure-based mechanics is entirely voluntary. Therefore, each participant could complete the 10-week study without listening to any problematic stimuli. Despite this, tracked interactions within the software demonstrate that each participant engaged with these mechanisms, with varying amounts between each child. Additionally, participants described the game as being fun and exciting whilst also liking the design of the virtual environment. Finally, players enjoyed the lobby area, which was the central environment for interactions with the game's reward system. Although this is encouraging, exit interviews suggest that adherence to the intervention was impacted by the gameplay mechanics, with a couple of participants stating that certain games were too childish. This is further reflected in parental feedback, which notes that participants found it difficult to play the game for longer than 10 min at a time. This highlights the importance of delivering therapy through the utilisation of engaging gaming mechanics, especially when delivering such a system at home in the presence of games designed for entertainment purposes. However, importantly, this also reflects the flexibility granted by conducting digital interventions away from the clinical environment.