Sensory Integration and the Perceptual Experience of Persons with Autism

Overview

Journal J Autism Dev Disord

Publisher Springer

Date 2006 Jan 6

PMID 16395537

Citations 119

Authors

Grace Iarocci

John McDonald

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Research studies on sensory issues in autism, including those based on questionnaires, autobiographical accounts, retrospective video observations and early experimental approaches are reviewed in terms of their strengths and limitations. We present a cognitive neuroscience theoretical perspective on multisensory integration and propose that this may be a useful way of conceptualizing and studying sensory integration and the perceptual experience of persons with autism. Our goal is to operationalize the concept of sensory integration, a notion that is frequently alluded to in the field of autism yet rarely defined in empirical terms. We conclude with a discussion of how this re-conceptualization and study of sensory integration may generate testable hypotheses and lead to refinements in current perceptual theories of autism.

Citing Articles

Interceptive abilities in autism spectrum disorder: Comparing naturalistic and virtual visuomotor tasks.

Park S, Cardinaux A, Crozier D, Russo M, Bond S, Kjelgaard M Autism Res. 2024; 17(12):2514-2534.

PMID: 39411921 PMC: 11638935. DOI: 10.1002/aur.3246.

Tactile cues are more intrinsically linked to motor timing than visual cues in visual-tactile sensorimotor synchronization.

Huntley M, Nguyen A, Albrecht M, Marinovic W Atten Percept Psychophys. 2024; 86(3):1022-1037.

PMID: 38263510 PMC: 11062975. DOI: 10.3758/s13414-023-02828-9.

The Impact of Audio-Visual, Visual and Auditory Cues on Multiple Object Tracking Performance in Children with Autism.

Hughes L, Kargas N, Wilhelm M, Meyerhoff H, Focker J Percept Mot Skills. 2023; 130(5):2047-2068.

PMID: 37452765 PMC: 10552336. DOI: 10.1177/00315125231187984.

Extraction and generalisation of category-level information during visual statistical learning in autistic people.

Parsons O, Baron-Cohen S PLoS One. 2023; 18(6):e0286018.

PMID: 37267333 PMC: 10237412. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0286018.

Self and caregiver report measurement of sensory features in autism spectrum disorder: a systematic review of psychometric properties.

Gunderson J, Worthley E, Byiers B, Symons F, Wolff J J Neurodev Disord. 2023; 15(1):5.

PMID: 36698071 PMC: 9875408. DOI: 10.1186/s11689-022-09473-7.

References

Calvert G, Campbell R, Brammer M . Evidence from functional magnetic resonance imaging of crossmodal binding in the human heteromodal cortex. Curr Biol. 2000; 10(11):649-57. DOI: 10.1016/s0960-9822(00)00513-3. View

Chan S, Fung M, Wai Tong C, Thompson D . The clinical effectiveness of a multisensory therapy on clients with developmental disability. Res Dev Disabil. 2004; 26(2):131-42. DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2004.02.002. View

Frith U, Happe F . Autism: beyond "theory of mind". Cognition. 1994; 50(1-3):115-32. DOI: 10.1016/0010-0277(94)90024-8. View

Adrien J, LENOIR P, Martineau J, Perrot A, Hameury L, Larmande C . Blind ratings of early symptoms of autism based upon family home movies. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 1993; 32(3):617-26. DOI: 10.1097/00004583-199305000-00019. View

Ornitz E, GUTHRIE D, Farley A . The early development of autistic children. J Autism Child Schizophr. 1977; 7(3):207-29. DOI: 10.1007/BF01538999. View

Ciesielski K, Knight J, Prince R, Harris R, HANDMAKER S . Event-related potentials in cross-modal divided attention in autism. Neuropsychologia. 1995; 33(2):225-46. DOI: 10.1016/0028-3932(94)00094-6. View

Foxe J, Morocz I, Murray M, Higgins B, Javitt D, Schroeder C . Multisensory auditory-somatosensory interactions in early cortical processing revealed by high-density electrical mapping. Brain Res Cogn Brain Res. 2000; 10(1-2):77-83. DOI: 10.1016/s0926-6410(00)00024-0. View

Dawson G, Watling R . Interventions to facilitate auditory, visual, and motor integration in autism: a review of the evidence. J Autism Dev Disord. 2000; 30(5):415-21. DOI: 10.1023/a:1005547422749. View

Kootz J, Marinelli B, Cohen D . Modulation of response to environmental stimulation in autistic children. J Autism Dev Disord. 1982; 12(2):185-93. DOI: 10.1007/BF01531308. View

10.

LOSCHE G . Sensorimotor and action development in autistic children from infancy to early childhood. J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 1990; 31(5):749-61. DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-7610.1990.tb00815.x. View

11.

HUTT C, Hutt S, Lee D, OUNSTED C . AROUSAL AND CHILDHOOD AUTISM. Nature. 1964; 204:908-9. DOI: 10.1038/204908a0. View

12.

Osterling J, Dawson G . Early recognition of children with autism: a study of first birthday home videotapes. J Autism Dev Disord. 1994; 24(3):247-57. DOI: 10.1007/BF02172225. View

13.

Watling R, Deitz J, White O . Comparison of Sensory Profile scores of young children with and without autism spectrum disorders. Am J Occup Ther. 2001; 55(4):416-23. DOI: 10.5014/ajot.55.4.416. View

14.

Benaroya S, Wesley S, OGILVIE H, Klein L, Meaney M . Sign language and multisensory input training of children with communication and related developmental disorders. J Autism Child Schizophr. 1977; 7(1):23-31. DOI: 10.1007/BF01531112. View

15.

White B, White M . Autism from the inside. Med Hypotheses. 1987; 24(3):223-9. DOI: 10.1016/0306-9877(87)90068-5. View

16.

Werner E, Dawson G, Osterling J, Dinno N . Brief report: Recognition of autism spectrum disorder before one year of age: a retrospective study based on home videotapes. J Autism Dev Disord. 2000; 30(2):157-62. DOI: 10.1023/a:1005463707029. View

17.

Plaisted K, Saksida L, Alcantara J, Weisblatt E . Towards an understanding of the mechanisms of weak central coherence effects: experiments in visual configural learning and auditory perception. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2003; 358(1430):375-86. PMC: 1693121. DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2002.1211. View

18.

Calvert G, Brammer M, Iversen S . Crossmodal identification. Trends Cogn Sci. 2011; 2(7):247-53. DOI: 10.1016/S1364-6613(98)01189-9. View

19.

ONeill M, Jones R . Sensory-perceptual abnormalities in autism: a case for more research?. J Autism Dev Disord. 1997; 27(3):283-93. DOI: 10.1023/a:1025850431170. View

20.

Ornitz E, Ritvo E . Perceptual inconstancy in early infantile autism. The syndrome of early infant autism and its variants including certain cases of childhood schizophrenia. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1968; 18(1):76-98. DOI: 10.1001/archpsyc.1968.01740010078010. View