Sensory Processing Issues Associated With Asperger Syndrome: A Preliminary Investigation

Dunn, Winnie; Myles, Brenda Smith; Orr, Stephany

doi:10.5014/ajot.56.1.97

Cited by 184 publications

(108 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…By contrast, they also show reduced responsiveness and registration of input (such as failing to orient to novel stimuli or react when their name is being called) as well as sensory seeking behaviours (Kern et al 2007). While the causes of atypical sensory processing in ASD are unclear, the pattern of concurrent increased and reduced responding to sensory stimulation is indicative of a difficulty managing one's response to sensory input, rather than having a specific style of atypical processing (Dunn et al 2002). There appears to be overlap between the patterns of sensory modulation atypicalities that occur within each condition, whereby sometimes individuals exhibit heightened responses to sensory events and at other times fail to attend to them.…”

Section: Alexithymia and Sensory Processing Atypicalitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Alexithymia in Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Its Relationship to Internalising Difficulties, Sensory Modulation and Social Cognition

Milosavljevic

Leno

Simonoff

et al. 2015

J Autism Dev Disord

135

120

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Alexithymia is a personality trait frequently found in adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and has been linked to impairments in emotion recognition and empathy. The presentation of alexithymia within ASD at younger ages remains unexplored, and was examined in the present study. Alexithymia rates were significantly elevated in ASD (55%; 31/56 scoring above cut-off) versus non-ASD adolescents (16%; 5/32 scoring above cut-off).Within individuals with ASD, alexithymia was associated with increased self-reported anxiety, parent-reported emotional difficulties, self-reported sensory processing atypicalities, and poorer emotion recognition, but was not associated with theory of mind ability. Overall, our results suggest that alexithymia is highly prevalent, and has selective cognitive correlates in young people with ASD.

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Section: Alexithymia and Sensory Processing Atypicalitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Alexithymia in Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Its Relationship to Internalising Difficulties, Sensory Modulation and Social Cognition

Milosavljevic

Leno

Simonoff

et al. 2015

J Autism Dev Disord

135

120

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“…VerMaas Lee noted that auditory and proprioreceptive items most strongly differentiated autistic and control groups but that differences were apparent in all sensory domains examined. In another study, Dunn, Myles, and Orr (2002) found a clear difference in the sensory defensiveness patterns of children with Asperger syndrome versus children without disabilities. In summary, these and other studies demonstrate that sensory defensiveness is much more common in children with autism than in typically developing children.…”

Section: Association Of Sensory Defensiveness With Other Childhood Bementioning

confidence: 99%

A Population-Based Twin Study of Parentally Reported Tactile and Auditory Defensiveness in Young Children

Goldsmith

Hulle

Arneson

et al. 2006

J Abnorm Child Psychol

127

130

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Some adults and children exhibit defensive behaviors to tactile or auditory stimulation. These symptoms occur not only in subsets of children with ADHD, autism, and Fragile X syndrome, but also in the apparent absence of accompanying disorders. Relatively little research explores the correlates and antecedents of sensory defensiveness. Using a population-based sample of 1,394 toddler-aged twins, mothers reported on tactile and auditory defensiveness, temperament, and behavior problems. The incidence of defensive symptoms was widely distributed, with some accumulation of cases in the extreme range. Girls were overrepresented in the extreme tactile defensiveness group. Both auditory and tactile defensiveness were modestly associated with fearful temperament and anxiety, but they were relatively distinct from other common dimensions of childhood behavioral dysfunction. Twin correlations for the full range of scores and concordance rates for the extremes suggested moderate genetic influences, with some indication that the tactile domain might be more heritable than the auditory domain.

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“…Children with autism and children with fragile X syndrome had markedly elevated scores in sensory reactivity and sensory sensitivities in relation to the other groups. When the full version of the Sensory Profile (Dunn, 1999), a 125-item questionnaire, was administered to parents of older children with autism, the most frequently endorsed items were "hypersensitivity to touch and to auditory input" (Kientz & Dunn, 1997).These difficulties appear to occur across the ASD spectrum, including in children with Asperger syndrome (Dunn, Myles, & Orr, 2002;Dunn, Saiter, & Rinner, 2002;Myles et al, 2004). Using the Dunn (1999) sensory profile across the lifespan, Kern et al (2006) provide evidence that sensory processing abnormalities involve multiple modalities (e.g.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These difficulties appear to occur across the ASD spectrum, including in children with Asperger syndrome (Dunn, Myles, & Orr, 2002;Dunn, Saiter, & Rinner, 2002;Myles et al, 2004). Using the Dunn (1999) sensory profile across the lifespan, Kern et al (2006) provide evidence that sensory processing abnormalities involve multiple modalities (e.g.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Sensory Sensitivities and Performance on Sensory Perceptual Tasks in High-functioning Individuals with Autism

Minshew

Hobson

2008

J Autism Dev Disord

116

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Despite extensive reports of sensory symptoms in autism, there is little empirical support for their neurological basis. Sixty individuals with high-functioning autism and 61 matched typical comparison participants were administered a sensory questionnaire and standardized neuropsychological tests of elementary and higher cortical sensory perception. Thirty-two per cent of participants with autism endorsed more sensory sensitivity items than any of the participants in the comparison group. On the sensory perceptual exam, both groups made few errors on elementary sensory perception items. Controls made few errors on higher cortical sensory perception items, but 30% of the participants with autism made high numbers of errors, though there was no evidence of the neglect syndrome. There was little correlation between the sensory sensitivities and the sensory perceptual deficits, likely due to the low correspondence between the measures. These results support the common occurrence of disturbances in sensory experiences in high functioning individuals with autism based on first person report, and the presence of neurological abnormalities in higher cortical sensory perception. Keywords autism; sensory sensitivities; sensory perception; sensory neglect The nerve endings on my skin were supersensitive. Stimuli that were insignificant to most people were like Chinese water torture. (Grandin, 1992) When Kanner (1943) and Asperger (1944 andAsperger (1991) first described the condition of autism, each reported inappropriate responses to sensory stimulation among the children they observed. Early clinical accounts described sensory dysfunction as central to the condition (Bergman & Escalona, 1949), and some clinicians continue to hold this view (Talay-Ongan & Wood, 2000). Further, sensory sensitivities and peculiarities have been incorporated as diagnostic features of the syndrome (DeMyer, 1976;Hermelin & O'Connor, 1964;Ornitz, 1989;Rogers, Hepburn, & Wehner, 2003;Wing, 1969). In the most recent revisions to the diagnostic system, clinical features associated with autism include "odd responses to sensory stimuli" (e.g., high pain tolerance, over-sensitivity to sound or touch, and excessive reaction to light or odors) (DSM-IV-TR: American Psychiatric Association, 2000). DeMyer, Hingtgen, and Jackson (1981) NIH-PA Author ManuscriptNIH-PA Author Manuscript NIH-PA Author Manuscript significant disturbance in sensory processing" but stated that the underlying mechanism for this disturbance has not been established. In a recently published extensive review of empirical evidence for sensory dysfunction in autism, Rogers and Ozonoff (2005) reported that despite evidence for the prevalence and prominence of sensory symptoms in autism, there is little careful empirical work to support an explanation of the unusual sensory responses often associated with this condition. In addition, empirical information regarding the nature and extent of sensory disturbances within the autism population and potential links between sensory di...

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Sensory Processing Issues Associated With Asperger Syndrome: A Preliminary Investigation

Abstract: This study provides initial evidence that clear differences exist in the sensory processing patterns of children with Asperger syndrome when compared with peers without disabilities.

Cited by 184 publications

References 22 publications

Alexithymia in Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Its Relationship to Internalising Difficulties, Sensory Modulation and Social Cognition

Alexithymia in Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Its Relationship to Internalising Difficulties, Sensory Modulation and Social Cognition

A Population-Based Twin Study of Parentally Reported Tactile and Auditory Defensiveness in Young Children

Sensory Sensitivities and Performance on Sensory Perceptual Tasks in High-functioning Individuals with Autism

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