Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Describing the Sensory Abnormalities of Children and Adults with Autism

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Patterns of sensory abnormalities in children and adults with autism were examined using the Diagnostic Interview for Social and Communication Disorders (DISCO). This interview elicits detailed information about responsiveness to a wide range of sensory stimuli. Study 1 showed that over 90% of children with autism had sensory abnormalities and had sensory symptoms in multiple sensory domains. Group differences between children with autism and clinical comparison children were found in the total number of symptoms and in specific domains of smell/taste and vision. Study 2 confirmed that sensory abnormalities are pervasive and multimodal and persistent across age and ability in children and adults with autism. Age and IQ level affects some sensory symptoms however. Clinical and research implications are discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • American Psychiatric Association (1994). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. Fourth Edition. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ayres, A. J. (1971). Characteristics of types of sensory integrative dysfunction. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, XXV(7), 329–334.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baranek, G. T., Foster, L. G., & Berkson, G. (1997). Tactile defensiveness and stereotyped behaviors. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 51(2), 91–95.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bartak, L., & Rutter, M. (1976). Differences between mentally retarded and normally intelligent autistic children. Journal of Autism and Childhood Schizophrenia, 6, 109–120.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bayley, N. (1993). Bayley Scales of infant development (2nd Ed.). San Antonio, TX: The Psychological Corporation.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bemporad, J. B. (1979). Adult recollections of a formerly autistic child. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 9(2), 179–197.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cesaroni, L., & Garber, M. (1991). Exploring the experience of autism through first hand Accounts. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 21(3), 303–313.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Courchesne, E., Lincoln, A. J., Kilman, B. A., & Galambos, R. (1985). Event-related brain potential correlates of the processing of novel visual and auditory information in autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 15, 5–76.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dahlgren, S. O., & Gillberg, C. (1989). Symptoms in the first two years of life: A preliminary population study of infantile autism. European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, 238, 169–174.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dunn, W. (1999). Sensory profile. San Antonio, TX: The Psychological Corporation.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dunn, W., & Bennett, D. (2002). Patterns of sensory processing in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Occupational Therapy Journal of Research, 22(1), 4–15.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dunn, W., Myles, B. S., & Orr, S. (2002). Sensory processing issues associated with Asperger’s syndrome: A preliminary investigation. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 56, 97–102.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fenson, L., Dale, P. S., Reznick, J. S., Thal, D., Bates, E., Hartung, P., Pethnick, S., & Reilly, J. S. (1993). The MacArthur communicative development inventories. San Diego, CA: Singular Publishing Group.

    Google Scholar 

  • Freeman, B. J., Ritvo, E. R., Schroth, P. C., Tonick, I., Guthrie, D., & Wake, L. (1981). Behavioral characteristics of high- and low-IQ autistic children. American Journal of Psychiatry, 138(1), 25–29.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Frith, U. (2003). Autism: Explaing the enigma. Oxford: Blackwell.

    Google Scholar 

  • Frith, U., Hermelin, B. (1969). The role of visual and motor cues for normal, subnormal and autistic children. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 10, 153–163.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gerland, G. (2003). A real person: Life on the outside. London: Souvenir Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goldfarb, W. (1956). Receptor preferences in schizophrenic children. Archives of Neurology and Psychiatry, 76, 643–652.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grandin, T., & Scariano, M. (1986). Emergence: Labelled autistic. Novato, CA: Arena.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hermelin, B., & O’Connor, N. (1965). Visual imperception in psychotic children. British Journal of Psychiatry, 56, 455–460.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kientz, M. A., & Dunn, W. (1996), A comparison of the performance of children with and without autism on the sensory profile. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 51(7), 530–537.

    Google Scholar 

  • Le Couteur, A., Rutter, M., Lord, C., Rios, P., Robertson, S., Holdgrafer, M., & McLennan, J. (1989). Autism diagnostic interview: A standardized investigator instrument. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 19, 363–387.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Leekam, R. S., Libby, S. J., Wing, L., Gould, J., & Taylor, C. (2002). The Diagnostic Interview for Social and Communication Disorders: Algorithms for ICD-10 childhood autism and Wing and Gould autistic spectrum disorder. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 43(3), 327–342.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Leekam, S., & Wyver, S. (2005). Beyond ‘modalarity’ and innateness: Sensory experience, social interaction and symbolic development in children with autism and blindness. In L. Pring (Ed.), Autism and blindness, (pp. 26–49). London: Whurr.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leekam, S., Libby, S., Wing, L., Gould, J., & Gillberg, G. (2000). Comparison of ICD-10 and Gillberg’s criteria for Asperger syndrome. Autism, 4, 11–28.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leiter, R. G. (1979). Leiter international performance Scale. Woodvale, IL: Soelting Corporation.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lord, C., Rutter, M., DiLavore, P., & Risi, S. (1999). Autism diagnostic observation schedule – WPS edition. Los Angeles, CA: Western Psychological Services.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lord, C., Rutter, M., & Le Couteur, A. (1994). Autism diagnostic interview – revised: A revised version of a diagnostic interview for caregivers of individuals with possible pervasive developmental disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 24, 659–686.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mottron, L., & Burack, J. A. (2001). Enhanced perceptual functioning in the development of autism. In J. Burack, T. Charman, N. Yirmiya, & P. R. Zelazo, (Eds.), The development of autism: Perspectives from theory and research (pp. 131–148). Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

    Google Scholar 

  • Myles, B. S., Hagiwara, T., Dunn, W., Rinner, L., Reese, M., Huggins, A., & Becker, S. (2004). Sensory issues in children with Asperger syndrome and autism. Education and Training in Developmental Disabilities, 3(4), 283–290.

    Google Scholar 

  • O’Connor, N., & Hermelin, B. (1978). Seeing and hearing in space and time. London: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ornitz, E. M. (1974) The modulation of sensory input and motor output in autistic children. Journal of Autism and Childhood Schizophenia, 4(3), 197–215.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ornitz, E. M. (1988) Autism: A disorder of directed attention. Brain Dysfunction, 1, 309–322.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ornitz, E. M., Guthrie, D., & Farley, A. J. (1978) The early symptoms of childhood autism. In G. Serban (Ed.), Cognitive defects in the development of mental illness (pp. 24–42). NY: Brunner/Mazel.

    Google Scholar 

  • Plaisted, K. C. (2001). Reduced generalisation in autism: An alternative to weak central coherence. In J. Burack, T. Charman, N. Yirmiya, & P. R. Zelazo (Eds.), The development of autism: Perspectives from theory and research (pp. 149–169). Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

  • Reynell, J., & Huntley, M. (1987). Reynell developmental language Scales (2nd Rev.). Windsor, England: NFER-Nelson Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Röder, B., Rösler, F., & Spence, C. (2004). Early vision impairs tactile perception in the blind. Current Biology, 14(2), 121–124.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rogers, S., Hepburn, S., & Wehner, E. (2003). Parent reports of sensory symptoms in toddlers with autism and those with other developmental disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 33(6), 631–642.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Shah, A., & Frith, U. (1993). Why do autistic individuals show superior performance on the block design task? Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 8, 1351–1364.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Turner, M. (1999). Annotation: Repetitive behaviour in autism: A review of psychological research. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 40, 839–849.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Williams, D. (1999). Autism and sensing: The unlost instinct. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wing, L. (1969). The handicaps of autistic children: A comparative study. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 10, 1–40.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wing, L. (1971). Perceptual and language development in autistic children: A comparative study. In M. Rutter (Ed.), Infantile autism: Concepts characteristics and treatment (pp. 173–198). London: Churchill Livingstone.

  • Wing, L., Leekam, L., Libby, S., Gould, J., & Larcombe, M. (2002). The diagnostic interview for social and communication disorders: background, inter-rater reliability and clinical use. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 43(3), 307–325.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • World Health Organisation (1993). The ICD-10 classification of mental and behavioural disorders. diagnostic criteria for research. Geneva: World Health Organisation.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We gratefully acknowledge the help of the children, parents and teachers who contributed to this research. This research was supported by funding from the NHS Executive (SPGS262) and by a Research Training Grant to Carmen Nieto from the Autonomous Community of Madrid (Spain), co-financed by the European Social Fund.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Susan R. Leekam.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Leekam, S.R., Nieto, C., Libby, S.J. et al. Describing the Sensory Abnormalities of Children and Adults with Autism. J Autism Dev Disord 37, 894–910 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-006-0218-7

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-006-0218-7

Keywords

Navigation