Successful Desensitization to fNIRS Cap of a Child with ASD: Case-Study

Abstract

Advances in neuroimaging technology allows for the investigation of neural activity patterns of many different populations. Some populations, such as individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) present with particular challenges, such as hypersensitivities to touch especially around the head and face. Many studies report therefore having to exclude participants due to inability to comply with equipment requirements. The purpose of this particular study was to systematically desensitize a child with ASD to a 44-channel functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy cap. The participant was a 10-year-old child with reported hypersensitivities to touch around the head. A systematic desensitization procedure was employed including a Brief Multiple-Stimulus-Without Replacement (MSWO) preference assessment, a token economy, as well as gradual increase of optodes to the cap. Results indicate that the participant was able to increase tolerance of the cap with each successive desensitization sessions, as well as completing the experimental task. The results from this case-study indicate that a systematic approach can be employed to successfully desensitize a child with ASD to wear the fNIRS cap to successfully complete an experimental task. Future research should expand the systematic approach to more participants with varying severity levels of ASD.