Sensory Over-responsivity, Psychopathology, and Family Impairment in School-aged Children

Overview

Journal J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry

Publisher Elsevier

Specialties Pediatrics
Psychiatry

Date 2011 Nov 26

PMID 22115142

Citations 35

Authors

Alice S Carter

Ayelet Ben-Sasson

Margaret J Briggs-Gowan

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objective: To establish the diagnostic validity of sensory overresponsivity (SOR), there is a need to document rates of SOR and the co-occurrence of SOR with other psychiatric disorders. Although this was not a diagnostic study of SOR, this study was designed to investigate rates of elevated SOR symptoms and associations between elevated SOR symptoms, psychiatric disorder status, and family impairment.

Method: From a larger birth cohort followed from infancy to school age, 338 children aged 7 to 10 years (51% boys, 49% girls) and their parents participated in an intensive assessment. Parents were interviewed with the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children (DISC) and completed the SensOR inventory and the Family Life Impairment Scale.

Results: Approximately one-fifth (21.2%) of children had elevated SOR symptoms. One-fourth (24.3%) of those with an elevated SOR score met criteria for a DSM-IV diagnosis, and 25.4% of children with a DSM-IV diagnosis had an elevated SOR score. Parents of children with elevated SOR alone reported a similar number of restrictions in family life as parents of those with an internalizing and/or externalizing diagnosis. SOR predicted concurrent family impairment above and beyond DSM diagnostic status and socio-demographic risk.

Conclusions: Elevated SOR occurs in the absence of other psychiatric conditions and is associated with impairment in family life. Services for children with comorbid elevated SOR and an externalizing disorder are needed to address the extremely high level of family impairment reported.

Citing Articles

Auditory gating and its clinical correlates in adults with chronic tic disorder and neurotypical adults.

Isaacs D, Xue A, Conley A, Key A Clin Neurophysiol. 2024; 168:72-82.

PMID: 39476471 PMC: 11647855. DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2024.10.006.

Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms in Children Are Related to Sensory Sensitivity and to Seeking Proxies for Internal States.

Tal I, Cervin M, Liberman N, Dar R Brain Sci. 2023; 13(10).

PMID: 37891831 PMC: 10605487. DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13101463.

The Role of Pediatric Sensory Over-responsivity and Anxiety Symptoms in the Development of Family Accommodations.

Ben-Sasson A, Podoly T, Lebowitz E Child Psychiatry Hum Dev. 2023; 56(1):134-141.

PMID: 37219643 DOI: 10.1007/s10578-023-01547-4.

Sensory Overresponsivity and Symptoms Across the Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum: Web-Based Longitudinal Observational Study.

Moreno-Amador B, Cervin M, Martinez-Gonzalez A, Piqueras J J Med Internet Res. 2023; 25:e37847.

PMID: 37052983 PMC: 10141273. DOI: 10.2196/37847.

Sensory processing challenges as a novel link between early caregiving experiences and mental health.

Leal A, Alba L, Cummings K, Jung J, Waizman Y, Moreira J Dev Psychopathol. 2022; 35(4):1968-1981.

PMID: 36523255 PMC: 10734795. DOI: 10.1017/S0954579422000633.

References

Schoen S, Miller L, Green K . Pilot study of the Sensory Over-Responsivity Scales: assessment and inventory. Am J Occup Ther. 2008; 62(4):393-406. DOI: 10.5014/ajot.62.4.393. View

Ben-Sasson A, Cermak S, Orsmond G, Tager-Flusberg H, Kadlec M, Carter A . Sensory clusters of toddlers with autism spectrum disorders: differences in affective symptoms. J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2008; 49(8):817-25. DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-7610.2008.01899.x. View

Green S, Ben-Sasson A . Anxiety disorders and sensory over-responsivity in children with autism spectrum disorders: is there a causal relationship?. J Autism Dev Disord. 2010; 40(12):1495-504. PMC: 2980623. DOI: 10.1007/s10803-010-1007-x. View

McIntosh D, Miller L, Shyu V, Hagerman R . Sensory-modulation disruption, electrodermal responses, and functional behaviors. Dev Med Child Neurol. 1999; 41(9):608-15. DOI: 10.1017/s0012162299001267. View

Graetz B, Sawyer M, Hazell P, Arney F, Baghurst P . Validity of DSM-IVADHD subtypes in a nationally representative sample of Australian children and adolescents. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2002; 40(12):1410-7. DOI: 10.1097/00004583-200112000-00011. View

Schaaf R, Benevides T, Blanche E, Brett-Green B, Burke J, Cohn E . Parasympathetic functions in children with sensory processing disorder. Front Integr Neurosci. 2010; 4:4. PMC: 2839854. DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2010.00004. View

Ben-Sasson A, Carter A, Briggs-Gowan M . The development of sensory over-responsivity from infancy to elementary school. J Abnorm Child Psychol. 2010; 38(8):1193-202. DOI: 10.1007/s10802-010-9435-9. View

Davies P, Gavin W . Validating the diagnosis of sensory processing disorders using EEG technology. Am J Occup Ther. 2007; 61(2):176-89. DOI: 10.5014/ajot.61.2.176. View

Briggs-Gowan M, Carter A, Bosson-Heenan J, Guyer A, Horwitz S . Are infant-toddler social-emotional and behavioral problems transient?. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2006; 45(7):849-58. DOI: 10.1097/01.chi.0000220849.48650.59. View

10.

DeGrace B . The everyday occupation of families with children with autism. Am J Occup Ther. 2004; 58(5):543-50. DOI: 10.5014/ajot.58.5.543. View

11.

Pfeiffer B, Kinnealey M, Reed C, Herzberg G . Sensory modulation and affective disorders in children and adolescents with Asperger's disorder. Am J Occup Ther. 2005; 59(3):335-45. DOI: 10.5014/ajot.59.3.335. View

12.

Ellingson K, Briggs-Gowan M, Carter A, Horwitz S . Parent identification of early emerging child behavior problems: predictors of sharing parental concern with health providers. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2004; 158(8):766-72. DOI: 10.1001/archpedi.158.8.766. View

13.

James K, Miller L, Schaaf R, Nielsen D, Schoen S . Phenotypes within sensory modulation dysfunction. Compr Psychiatry. 2011; 52(6):715-24. DOI: 10.1016/j.comppsych.2010.11.010. View

14.

Gouze K, Hopkins J, Lebailly S, Lavigne J . Re-examining the epidemiology of sensory regulation dysfunction and comorbid psychopathology. J Abnorm Child Psychol. 2009; 37(8):1077-87. DOI: 10.1007/s10802-009-9333-1. View

15.

Miller L, Anzalone M, Lane S, Cermak S, Osten E . Concept evolution in sensory integration: a proposed nosology for diagnosis. Am J Occup Ther. 2007; 61(2):135-40. DOI: 10.5014/ajot.61.2.135. View

16.

Shaffer D, Fisher P, Lucas C, Dulcan M . NIMH Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children Version IV (NIMH DISC-IV): description, differences from previous versions, and reliability of some common diagnoses. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2000; 39(1):28-38. DOI: 10.1097/00004583-200001000-00014. View

17.

Ben-Sasson A, Carter A, Briggs-Gowan M . Sensory over-responsivity in elementary school: prevalence and social-emotional correlates. J Abnorm Child Psychol. 2009; 37(5):705-16. PMC: 5972374. DOI: 10.1007/s10802-008-9295-8. View

18.

Koziol L, Budding D, Chidekel D . Sensory integration, sensory processing, and sensory modulation disorders: putative functional neuroanatomic underpinnings. Cerebellum. 2011; 10(4):770-92. DOI: 10.1007/s12311-011-0288-8. View

19.

Reynolds S, Lane S . Diagnostic validity of sensory over-responsivity: a review of the literature and case reports. J Autism Dev Disord. 2007; 38(3):516-29. DOI: 10.1007/s10803-007-0418-9. View

20.

Carter A, Briggs-Gowan M, Jones S, Little T . The Infant-Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment (ITSEA): factor structure, reliability, and validity. J Abnorm Child Psychol. 2003; 31(5):495-514. DOI: 10.1023/a:1025449031360. View