Sensory Processing Differences in Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Narrative Review of Underlying Mechanisms and Sensory-Based Interventions

Abstract

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by difficulties with social interaction and restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior. Altered sensory processing and perception are considered characteristics of ASD. Sensory processing differences (SPDs) are commonly observed in individuals with ASD, leading to atypical responses to sensory stimuli. SPDs refer to the way in which individuals receive, process, and respond to sensory information from the environment. People with SPDs may be hypersensitive (over-reactive) or hyposensitive (under-reactive) to sensory input, or they may experience fragmented or distorted perceptions. These differences can make it difficult for individuals with SPDs to filter out irrelevant sensory information, and to integrate sensory information from different sources. This study intends to investigate the underlying mechanisms contributing to SPDs in individuals with autism and determine the effectiveness of sensory-based therapies in addressing these challenges. The literature suggests that altered neural pathways, sensory gating dysfunction, and atypical sensory modulation contribute to SPDs in individuals with ASD. Assistive technology, environmental changes, and sensory-based interventions like sensory integration therapy (SIT) have all shown promise in improving sensory functioning and reducing associated behavioral issues. However, further research is needed to improve our understanding of sensory processing in autism and to optimize interventions for individuals with ASD.

Auditory feedback decreases timing variability for discontinuous and continuous motor tasks in autistic adults

“…Sensation is intricately connected with online control of movement as well as when building and using internal models, therefore, atypical sensation is associated with atypical movement characteristics in autism ( Gowen and Miall, 2005 ; Robledo et al, 2012 ; Torres et al, 2013 ; Lin et al, 2015 ; Subramanian et al, 2017 ; Brinkner and Torres, 2018 ). Some autistic individuals may have 50% fewer intraepidermal nerve fibers than neurotypical children their age ( Silva and Schalock, 2016 ), hypo-or hyper-sensitivities or sensory integration issues ( Robledo et al, 2012 ; Coll et al, 2020 ), atypical visuo-motor integration ( Lidstone and Mostofsky, 2021 ), and other sensory challenges ( Patil and Kaple, 2023 ). Atypical sensation can be an advantage as well: many autistic individuals show increased sensitivity and brain activity to musical input such as singing and electronic tones ( Kuhl et al, 2005 ; Lepistö et al, 2005 ; Jones et al, 2009 ; Sharda et al, 2015 ).…”

Provenance of a “sense‐sational” wait: A call for introducing sensory processing differences into diagnostic criteria for attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder

“…As sensory processing differences are now recognized for autistic people (Patil & Kaple, 2023 ), a challenge for practitioners is how to accurately formulate the sensory needs of people with ADHD whilst minimizing additional assessments and potential co‐occurring diagnoses. Neurodivergent people frequently receive multiple diagnostic labels that overlap to explain underpinning characteristics (Kooij et al., 2019 ; Werkhoven et al., 2022 ), which has negative implications for resource management of waiting lists, risks associated with delayed pharmacological and/or nonpharmacological interventions, and difficulty managing patients’ expectations (Al‐Khudairi et al., 2019 ).…”