Sensory Processing Disorder in Autism Spectrum Disorder: What Speech Therapist Should Know
Keywords:
Sensory processing Disorder (SPD), Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Sensory Information (SI), Sensory Integration Therapy, Multidisciplinary Team
Abstract
The aim of this article is to discuss various subtypes of sensory processing disorder and their implication in the lives of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Typically, in human beings, sensory receptors receive information from internal and external environment and then send it to the brain for determination of the appropriate behavioral or motor response. In some individuals however, the process is affected by a dysfunction of the sensory integration process. The condition is known as sensory processing disorder (SPD). It is a heterogeneous condition that negatively affects how one’s brains perceives and responds to sensory information. Research estimates that around 90% of individuals living with ASD have SPD, while that of general population is estimated to be only 5-10%. Individuals with SPD tend to react to sensory stimuli in a negative way both socially and emotionally. SPD is not considered a disorder (per se) by psychiatrists and other mental health professionals. Some doctors consider it as a symptom of other disorders (ASD, Anxiety, Attention Deficit Disorder, and Hyperactivity). Unfortunately, not much is known about its cause or neurobiology. Further, majority of individuals with SPD have challenges with communication commonly leading to aggression and other challenging behaviors. Speech therapy is therefore paramount to help improve their socio-communication skills. Speech therapist need to understand nature and implications of SPD so that that can address it and as well help other collaborating members of the multidisciplinary team. It is important that the government, universities, non-governmental organizations and related stakeholders invest more time, funds and resources in research and creation of awareness about the condition.
References
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Lane, S., & Reynolds, S. (2020). Sensory discrimination function and disorders. In A. Bundy & S. Lane (Eds.), Sensory Integration Theory and Practice (3rd ed., pp. 181–205). Philadelphia, PA: F.A. Davis.
Mang’ombe, A.S. & Wairungu G.M. (2021). Autim Spectrum Disrder: A review of contemporary literature on common communication difficulties and recommended research based intervention strategies. International Journal of Research and Scientific Innovation, VII(IV). https://www.researchgate.net/publication/361364936
Miller, L. J., Anzalone, M. E., Lane, S. J., Cermak, S. A., & Osten, E. T. (2007). Concept evolution in sensory integration: a proposed nosology for diagnosis. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy: Official Publication of the American Occupational Therapy Association, 61(2), 135–140. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.61.2.135
Muthoni, J. & Wairungu, G.M. (2023). Comorbidities in Autism Spectrum Disorder, Prevalence and its Implication: What Speech therapists need to know. European Journal of Science, Innovation and Technology, 3(6), 147-157. https://ejsit-journal.com/index.php/ejsit/article/view/324.
Ndiema, D.C. & Wairungu, G.M. (2021). Learners with Autism Spectrum Diosrder : What socio communication difficulties entail and the recommended research based intervention strategies International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), 5(12), 413-419. https://ideas.repec.org/a/bcp/journl/v5y2021i12p413-419.html
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Passarello, N., Tarantino, V., Chirico, A., Menghini, D., Costanzo, F., Sorrentino, P., Fucà, E., Gigliotta, O., Alivernini, F., Oliveri, M., Lucidi, F., Vicari, S., Mandolesi, L., & Turriziani, P. (2022). Sensory Processing Disorders in Children and Adolescents: Taking Stock of Assessment and Novel Therapeutic Tools. Brain Sciences, 12(11), 1478. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci12111478
Ptak, A., Miękczyńska, D., Dębiec-Bąk, A., & Stefańska, M. (2022). The Occurrence of the Sensory Processing Disorder in Children Depending on the Type and Time of Delivery: A Pilot Study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(11), 6893. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19116893
Tomchek, S. D., Huebner, R. A., & Dunn, W. (2014). Patterns of sensory processing in children with an autism spectrum disorder. Res. Autism Spectr. Disord., 8, 1214–1224. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rasd.2014.06.006
Wairungu, G.M. (2020). Sensory processing disorder in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder. International Journal of Research and Scientific Innovation (IJRSI), 5(6). https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:232165012
Williams, Z. J., Suzman, E., Bordman, S. L., Markfeld, J. E., Kaiser, S. M., Dunham, K. A., Zoltowski, A. R., Failla, M. D., Cascio, C. J., & Woynaroski, T. G. (2023). Characterizing Interoceptive Differences in Autism: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Case-control Studies. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 53(3), 947–962. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-022-05656-2
Aman, J. E., Elangovan, N., Yeh, I. L., & Konczak, J. (2015). The effectiveness of proprioceptive training for improving motor function: a systematic review. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 8, 1075. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2014.01075
American Academy of Pediatrics [AAP] (2012). Policy statement: sensory integration therapies for children with developmental and behavioral disorders. Pediatrics, 129, 1186–1189.
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA.
Avery, J. A., Ingeholm, J. E., Wohltjen, S., Collins, M., Riddell, C. D., Gotts, S. J., Kenworthy, L., Wallace, G. L., Simmons, W. K., & Martin, A. (2018). Neural correlates of taste reactivity in autism spectrum disorder. NeuroImage. Clinical, 19, 38–46. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nicl.2018.04.008
Ayres, A. J. (1972). Sensory Integration and Learning Disorders. Los Angeles, CA: Western Psychological Services.
Ayres, A. J. (1977). Effect of sensory integrative therapy on the coordination of children with choreoathetoid movements. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 31(5), 291–293.
Baker, A. E., Lane, A., Angley, M. T., & Young, R. L. (2008). The relationship between sensory processing patterns and behavioral responsiveness in autistic disorder: A pilot study. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 38(5), 867–875.
Chang, Y. S., Owen, J. P., Desai, S. S., Hill, S. S., Arnett, A. B., Harris, J., ... & Mukherjee, P. (2014). Autism and sensory processing disorders: shared white matter disruption in sensory pathways but divergent connectivity in social-emotional pathways. PloS one, 9(7), e103038.
Chung, S., & Son, J. W. (2020). Visual Perception in Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Review of Neuroimaging Studies. Soa--ch'ongsonyon chongsin uihak = Journal of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 31(3), 105–120. https://doi.org/10.5765/jkacap.200018
Coscia, F., Gigliotti, P. V., Foued, S., Piratinskij, A., Pietrangelo, T., Verratti, V., Diemberger, I., & Fanò-Illic, G. (2020). Effects of a vibrational proprioceptive stimulation on recovery phase after maximal incremental cycle test. European Journal of Translational Myology, 30(4), 9477. https://doi.org/10.4081/ejtm.2020.9477
Crasta, J. E., Salzinger, E., Lin, M. H., Gavin, W. J., & Davies, P. L. (2020). Sensory processing and attention profiles among children with sensory processing disorders and autism spectrum disorders. Front. Integr. Neurosci., 14, 22. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnint.2020.00022
Dunn, W., Little, L., Dean, E., Robertson, S., & Evans, B. (2016). The state of the science on sensory factors and their impact on daily life for children: a scoping review. OTJR, 36(2 Suppl), 3S–26S. https://doi.org/10.1177/1539449215617923
Font-Alaminos, M., Cornella, M., Costa-Faidella, J., Hervás, A., Leung, S., Rueda, I., & Escera, C. (2020). Increased subcortical neural responses to repeating auditory stimulation in children with autism spectrum disorder. Biological Psychology, 149, 107807. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsycho.2019.107807
Foss-Feig, J. H., Heacock, J. L., & Cascio, C. J. (2012). Tactile responsiveness patterns and their association with core features in autism spectrum disorders. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 6(1), 337–344. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rasd.2011.06.007
Galiana-Simal, A., Vela-Romero, M., Romero-Vela, V. M., Oliver-Tercero, N., García-Olmo, V., Benito-Castellanos, P. J., ... & Beato-Fernandez, L. (2020). Sensory processing disorder: Key points of a frequent alteration in neurodevelopmental disorders. Cogent Medicine, 7(1), 1736829. https://doi.org/10.1080/2331205X.2020.1736829
Gonçalves, A. M., & Monteiro, P. (2023). Autism Spectrum Disorder and auditory sensory alterations: a systematic review on the integrity of cognitive and neuronal functions related to auditory processing. Journal of Neural Transmission (Vienna, Austria: 1996), 130(3), 325–408. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00702-023-02595-9
Hodges, H., Fealko, C., & Soares, N. (2020). Autism spectrum disorder: definition, epidemiology, causes, and clinical evaluation. Translational Pediatrics, 9(Suppl 1), S55–S65. https://doi.org/10.21037/tp.2019.09.09
Jussila, K., Junttila, M., Kielinen, M., Ebeling, H., Joskitt, L., Moilanen, I., et al. (2020). Sensory abnormality and quantitative autism traits in children with and without Autism spectrum disorder in an epidemiological population. J. Autism Dev. Disord., 50, 180–188. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-019-04237-0
Lane, S., & Reynolds, S. (2020). Sensory discrimination function and disorders. In A. Bundy & S. Lane (Eds.), Sensory Integration Theory and Practice (3rd ed., pp. 181–205). Philadelphia, PA: F.A. Davis.
Mang’ombe, A.S. & Wairungu G.M. (2021). Autim Spectrum Disrder: A review of contemporary literature on common communication difficulties and recommended research based intervention strategies. International Journal of Research and Scientific Innovation, VII(IV). https://www.researchgate.net/publication/361364936
Miller, L. J., Anzalone, M. E., Lane, S. J., Cermak, S. A., & Osten, E. T. (2007). Concept evolution in sensory integration: a proposed nosology for diagnosis. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy: Official Publication of the American Occupational Therapy Association, 61(2), 135–140. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.61.2.135
Muthoni, J. & Wairungu, G.M. (2023). Comorbidities in Autism Spectrum Disorder, Prevalence and its Implication: What Speech therapists need to know. European Journal of Science, Innovation and Technology, 3(6), 147-157. https://ejsit-journal.com/index.php/ejsit/article/view/324.
Ndiema, D.C. & Wairungu, G.M. (2021). Learners with Autism Spectrum Diosrder : What socio communication difficulties entail and the recommended research based intervention strategies International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), 5(12), 413-419. https://ideas.repec.org/a/bcp/journl/v5y2021i12p413-419.html
Nyakundi, J.C. & Wairungu, G.M. (2021). Applied behaviour analyses as an intervention strategy in learners with Autism Spectrum Disorder. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), V(VII). https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:232165012
Passarello, N., Tarantino, V., Chirico, A., Menghini, D., Costanzo, F., Sorrentino, P., Fucà, E., Gigliotta, O., Alivernini, F., Oliveri, M., Lucidi, F., Vicari, S., Mandolesi, L., & Turriziani, P. (2022). Sensory Processing Disorders in Children and Adolescents: Taking Stock of Assessment and Novel Therapeutic Tools. Brain Sciences, 12(11), 1478. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci12111478
Ptak, A., Miękczyńska, D., Dębiec-Bąk, A., & Stefańska, M. (2022). The Occurrence of the Sensory Processing Disorder in Children Depending on the Type and Time of Delivery: A Pilot Study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(11), 6893. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19116893
Tomchek, S. D., Huebner, R. A., & Dunn, W. (2014). Patterns of sensory processing in children with an autism spectrum disorder. Res. Autism Spectr. Disord., 8, 1214–1224. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rasd.2014.06.006
Wairungu, G.M. (2020). Sensory processing disorder in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder. International Journal of Research and Scientific Innovation (IJRSI), 5(6). https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:232165012
Williams, Z. J., Suzman, E., Bordman, S. L., Markfeld, J. E., Kaiser, S. M., Dunham, K. A., Zoltowski, A. R., Failla, M. D., Cascio, C. J., & Woynaroski, T. G. (2023). Characterizing Interoceptive Differences in Autism: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Case-control Studies. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 53(3), 947–962. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-022-05656-2
Published
2024-01-02
How to Cite
Ochuka, E., & Wairungu, G. M. (2024). Sensory Processing Disorder in Autism Spectrum Disorder: What Speech Therapist Should Know. European Journal of Science, Innovation and Technology, 3(6), 447-456. Retrieved from https://ejsit-journal.com/index.php/ejsit/article/view/349
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Copyright (c) 2023 Eunice Ochuka, George Mathenge Wairungu
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