'We're quite good at thinking outside the box: Early autistic sensory experiences expressed by autistic adults and caregivers of autistic children.
Katy L Unwin, Kelsey Philpott-Robinson, Josephine Barbaro and 4 others
PMID 40277191WHAT IT FOUND
Autistic adults and caregivers described early sensory differences as unique to each person and changing by context.
Overload could make daily tasks painful, while controlled sensory routines were used to feel safe and participate.
Key findings
01In 15 participants, early sensory preferences were described as unique to each person and changing with context and day.
02Sensory overload was described as interfering with daily tasks and social participation, including tooth brushing, physical exhaustion, and friendships.
03Participants described using controlled sensory routines and accommodations to feel more settled and participate, such as chewing, controlling expected noise, separate meals, and withdrawing to a quiet space.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The study relied on memory of early childhood, and autistic adults sometimes described current experiences rather than early ones. Transcripts were not returned to participants for checking. All autistic adult participants were female, so the male early sensory experience was largely missing. The authors stated that sample size and design limit generalisability.
Declared interests
The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest and received no financial support for the research, authorship, or publication.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the accommodations described here as proven treatments. They are experiences reported by participants, and the study did not test whether any strategy improved sensory or developmental outcomes.