Sensory Processing in Williams Syndrome: Individual differences and changes over time.
Bradley Powell, Jo Van Herwegen
PMID 34287736WHAT IT FOUND
Most children with Williams syndrome had parent-reported sensory difficulties, especially with sound, noticing sensory input, discomfort and avoiding stimuli.
Over follow-up, fewer systems were impaired, but difficulties noticing sensory input remained common.
Key findings
0189.5% of children were classified as definitely impaired in auditory processing, and 86.84%, 86.86% and 84.21% were classified as definitely impaired in registration, sensitivity and avoidance.
02One cluster had definite impairments across all subscales, while the other had typical touch and oral scores and probable impairments in visual, vestibular and seeking.
03At follow-up, the median number of definitely impaired systems per child decreased from 6.5 to 2.00, and visual and vestibular scale scores changed significantly.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
Experiment 1 included 37 children, and Experiment 2 included only 16, so the longitudinal findings are based on a small follow-up sample. Nine parents could not be contacted and 15 did not respond, so the follow-up group may not represent the original group. The database was retrospective, so background data on intellectual ability, adaptive functioning, comorbidities, occupational therapies, education and parenting were not available. The time between assessments varied from 1.1 to 4.4 years, and the analysis controlling for follow-up duration violated statistical assumptions, so the authors say the results must be interpreted with caution. The first and second assessments used different questionnaire versions, and the second required reversed scoring before comparison.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the decrease in impaired systems as proof that sensory difficulties resolve with age. Many children still had definite impairments at follow-up, and vestibular scores decreased while visual scores increased.