Sensory Abnormality and Quantitative Autism Traits in Children With and Without Autism Spectrum Disorder in an Epidemiological Population.
K Jussila, M Junttila, M Kielinen and 4 others
PMID 31583623WHAT IT FOUND
Parents reported sensory problems in 8.3% of 4397 children, and in 53.6% of 28 children with ASD.
Auditory hypersensitivity was especially linked to higher autism screening scores, so ask about noise sensitivity in children with ASD or high scores.
Key findings
01In 4397 children with sensory data, 364 (8.3%) had a sensory abnormality; it was reported in 15 of 28 children with ASD (53.6%) and 349 non-ASD children (8.0%).
02Any sensory abnormality was associated with a 13-fold risk for ASD diagnosis; auditory hypersensitivity with a 22-fold risk, and tactile hypersensitivity with a 34-fold risk.
03Among children with ASD, auditory hypersensitivity was associated with higher autism screening scores, mean 48.8 versus 37.8.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
Sensory abnormalities were assessed with parent questions about hyper- and hyposensitivity, not validated sensory measures, because no validated Finnish sensory assessments were available at the time. Sensory problems and autism screening scores came from parent and teacher proxy reports, so proxy bias may have affected the results. Only 28 children had ASD, so findings within the ASD group are based on a small sample. Children with full-scale IQ below 50 were excluded, so results do not apply to children with more severe intellectual disability. The study reports prevalence and association, not treatment effects, so it cannot show that changing sensory environments improves outcomes.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the 13-fold risk as proof that sensory problems cause autism. The study used parent-reported sensory questions and proxy-rated autism screening scores, so it shows association, not cause.