Sensory features as predictors of adaptive behaviors: A comparative longitudinal study of children with autism spectrum disorder and other developmental disabilities.
Kathryn L Williams, Anne V Kirby, Linda R Watson and 3 others
PMID 30060977WHAT IT FOUND
Early parent-reported muted responses and exaggerated responses were linked to lower daily living and overall adaptive skills years later in both autism and other developmental disability groups.
Parent-reported sensory seeking was linked to lower adaptive skills in autism but higher in other disabilities.
Key findings
01Early parent-reported hyporesponsiveness was associated with lower overall adaptive behavior and daily living skills, with a stronger negative pattern in the developmental disability group.
02Early parent-reported hyperresponsiveness predicted lower overall adaptive behavior and daily living skills across both groups.
03Early parent-reported sensory interests, repetitions, and seeking behaviors predicted lower adaptive behavior outcomes in the autism group and higher adaptive behavior outcomes in the developmental disability group.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study was observational, so it cannot show that sensory features caused later adaptive difficulties. The sample was limited to children who met study exclusions, so it may not apply to children with more medical complexity. Parent-reported and observed sensory measures disagreed for seeking behaviors, so observed findings were not treated as reliable. The study counted service hours but did not test what services did, so it cannot say whether therapy helped or harmed adaptive outcomes. Co-occurring sensory response patterns were not modeled, so interactions between muted, exaggerated, and seeking responses were not examined.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these findings as proof that sensory features cause adaptive difficulties or that sensory treatment will improve adaptive skills. The study was observational, and the authors state it is limited in causal explanations.