A comparison of the Sensory Profile scores of children with autism and an age- and gender-matched sample.

BACKGROUND

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that autism spectrum disorder (ASD) affects one in 88 children in the United States. The American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR) defines ASD as a pervasive neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by qualitative impairment in communication and social interaction, and restricted, repetitive and stereotyped behavior patterns. The purpose of this study was to determine whether children with autism differ in their response to sensory input relative to typically developing age- and gender-matched peers.

METHOD: The Sensory Profile (SP) is a 125-item caregiver questionnaire designed to measure a child's ability to process sensory information and to profile the effect of sensory processing on daily life activity. The results of the SP of 21 participants with autism ages 3 to 9 years were compared with an age- and gender-matched sample of typically developing children.

RESULTS

Significant differences were found across all four SP quadrants (Registration, Seeking, Sensitivity, and Avoiding) as well as eight of the nine SP factor scores. This study adds to the evidence indicating that children with autism process and respond to sensory input differently than typically-developing peers.

CONCLUSION

The findings from this study support previous research findings that sensory processing differences exist between children with ASD and their typically-developing peers, as measured by the SP.