Performance of Daily Living Activities of Autistic Children With Sensory Processing Difficulties: Caregivers' Perceptions.
Luiza Salomão Tazinaffo, Bianca Brunelli Wolf, Amanda Mota Pacciulio Sposito
Strong aversion to textures and poor motor planning made every daily task—bathing, feeding, dressing, hygiene, toileting—require constant adult help, according to caregivers of autistic children aged 3–8.
Key findings
1All 12 caregivers reported their children struggled with feeding, and 9 described strong aversion to food textures or refusal to use utensils.
2Aversion to touch and textures was the most commonly reported sensory issue, interfering with all five daily activity areas—bathing, feeding, dressing, personal hygiene, and toileting.
3Motor planning difficulties were the dominant praxis pattern, with 9 caregivers reporting their children needed full help to complete dressing.
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What it does not show
All data come from caregiver reports, not direct observation or standardised ADL assessment, so the descriptions reflect the caregiver's interpretation of their child's behaviour. Participants were recruited from a single private clinic in Brazil, which likely reflects a higher socioeconomic context with greater access to multiple therapies; findings may not generalise to public health settings. The sample is small (12 families) and predominantly male children (11 of 12), limiting the range of experiences captured. All children were receiving multiple concurrent therapies (OT, speech-language therapy, ABA-based intervention, and others), so the contribution of any single factor to the observed difficulties cannot be separated. The authors note that some interpretations (e.g., bilateral integration deficits, ideational difficulties) are clinical hypotheses from caregiver reports that require confirmation through specialised OT assessment.
Declared interests
Funded by the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP, Grant 2024/07114-6). Authors declare no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the consistent caregiver reports as evidence that a specific sensory integration intervention will fix these difficulties — this study describes what families experience at home and does not test any treatment. The authors themselves note that the praxis and sensory interpretations are clinical hypotheses from caregiver narratives that need confirmation through direct occupational therapy assessment.
Summarised by AI from the full paper, without a clinician reviewing it. Check it against the source before it changes what you do. Read it on PubMed →