Unusual sensory processing has been widely reported in autism spectrum disorders (ASDs); however, the majority of research in this area has focused on children. The present study assessed sensory processing in adults with ASD using the Adult/Adolescent Sensory Profile (AASP), a 60-item self-report questionnaire assessing levels of sensory processing in everyday life. Results demonstrated that sensory abnormalities were prevalent in ASD, with 94.4 percent of the ASD sample reporting extreme levels of sensory processing on at least one sensory quadrant of the AASP. Furthermore, analysis of the patterns of sensory processing impairments revealed striking within-group variability in the ASD group, suggesting that individuals with ASD could experience very different, yet similarly severe, sensory processing abnormalities. These results suggest that unusual sensory processing in ASD extends across the lifespan and have implications regarding both the treatment and the diagnosis of ASD in adulthood.
American Psychiatric Association (1980) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 3rd edn (DSM-III). Washington, DC: APA.
2.
Asperger, H. (1944/1991) `Autistic Psychopathy in Childhood' , in U. Frith (ed.) Autism and Asperger Syndrome, pp. 37-92. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
3.
Baranek, G.T. (1999) `Autism during Infancy: A Retrospective Video Analysis of Sensory-Motor and Social Behaviors at 9-12 Months of Age', Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders29: 213-24.
4.
Baranek, G.T., David, F.J., Poe, M.D., Stone, W.L. & Watson, L.R. (2006) `Sensory Experiences Questionnaire: Discriminating Sensory Features in Young Children with Autism, Developmental Delays, and Typical Development', Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry47 (6): 591-601.
5.
Baron-Cohen, S., Wheelwright, S., Skinner, R., Martin, J. & Clubley, E. (2001) `The Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ) : Evidence from Asperger Syndrome/High Functioning Autism, Males and Females, Scientists and Mathematicians', Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders31: 5-17.
6.
Bennetto, L., Kuschner, E.S. & Hyman, S.L. (2007) Olfaction and Taste Processing in Autism. Biological Psychiatry62 (9): 1015-21.
7.
Blakemore, S.-J., Tavassoli, T., Calò, S., Thomas, R.M., Catmur, C., Frith, U., et al. (2006) `Tactile Sensitivity in Asperger Syndrome' , Brain and Cognition61 (1): 5-13.
8.
Brown, C. & Dunn, W. (2002) Adult/Adolescent Sensory Profile: User's Manual . San Antonio, TX: Psychological Corporation.
9.
Brown, C., Cromwell, R.L., Filion, D., Dunn, W. & Tollefson, N. (2002) `Sensory Processing in Schizophrenia: Missing and Avoiding Information', Schizophrenia Research55 (1-2): 187-95.
10.
Dahlgren, S.S. & Gillberg, C. (1989) `Symptoms in the First Two Years of Life: A Preliminary Population Study of Infantile Autism', European Archives of Psychiatry and Neurological Sciences238: 169-74.
11.
Dawson, G. & Watling, R. (2000) `Interventions to Facilitate Auditory, Visual, and Motor Integration in Autism: A Review of the Evidence', Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders30 (5): 415-21.
12.
Dunn, W. (1997) `The Impact of Sensory Processing Abilities on the Daily Lives of Young Children and Their Families: A Conceptual Model' , Infants and Young Children9 (4): 23-35.
13.
Dunn, W. (1999) Sensory Profile: User's Manual. San Antonio, TX: Psychological Corporation.
14.
Dunn, W. & Bennett, D. (2002) `Patterns of Sensory Processing in Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder', OTJR: Occupation Participation and Health22 (1): 4-15.
15.
Dunn, W., Myles, B.S. & Orr, S. (2002) `Sensory Processing Issues Associated with Asperger Syndrome: A Preliminary Investigation', American Journal of Occupational Therapy56: 97-102.
16.
Ermer, J. & Dunn, W. (1998) `The Sensory Profile: A Discriminant Analysis of Children with and without Disabilities', American Journal of Occupational Therapy52 (4): 283-90.
17.
Filipek, P.A., Accardo, P.J., Baranek, G.T., Cook, E.H., Dawson, G., Gordon, B., et al. (1999) `The Screening and Diagnosis of Autistic Spectrum Disorders', Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders29 (6): 439-84.
18.
Freeman, B. (1993) `The Syndrome of Autism: Update and Guidelines for Diagnosis', Infants and Young Children6: 1-11.
19.
Gillberg, C. & Coleman, M. (1992) The Biology of the Autistic Syndromes, 2nd edn. London: Mac Keith with Cambridge University Press.
20.
Gothelf, D., Farber, N., Raveh, E., Apter, A. & Attias, J. (2006) `Hyperacusis in Williams Syndrome: Characteristics and Associated Neuroaudiologic Abnormalities', Neurology66 (3): 390-5.
21.
Grandin, T. & Scariano, M. (1986) Emergence: Labeled Autistic. Novato, CA: Arena.
22.
Hill, E.L. & Bird, C.A. (2006) `Executive Processes in Asperger Syndrome: Patterns of Performance in a Multiple Case Series', Neuropsychologia44 (14): 2822-35.
23.
Kanner, L. (1943) `Autistic Disturbances of Affective Contact', Nervous Child2: 217-50.
24.
Kern, J.K., Trivedi, M.H., Garver, C.R., Grannemann, B.D., Andrews, A.A., Savla, J.S., et al. (2006) `The Pattern of Sensory Processing Abnormalities in Autism', Autism10 (5): 480-94.
Kern, J.K., Garver, C.R., Carmody, T., Andrews, A.A., Trivedi, M.H. & Mehta, J.A. (2007b) `Examining Sensory Quadrants in Autism', Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders1 (2): 185-93.
27.
Kientz, M.A. & Dunn, W. (1997) `A Comparison of the Performance of Children with and without Autism on the Sensory Profile', American Journal of Occupational Therapy51 (7): 530-7.
28.
Leekam, S.R., Nieto, C., Libby, S.J., Wing, L. & Gould, J. (2007) `Describing the Sensory Abnormalities of Children and Adults with Autism', Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders37 (5): 894-910.
29.
Liss, M., Saulnier, C.A., Fein, D. & Kinsbourne, M. (2006) `Sensory and Attention Abnormalities in Autistic Spectrum Disorders', Autism10 (2): 155-72.
30.
O'Brien, J., Tsermentseli, S., Cummins, O., Happé, F., Heaton, P. & Spencer, J. (in press) `Discriminating Children with Autism from Children with Learning Difficulties with an Adaptation of the Short Sensory Profile', Early Child Development and Care.
31.
O'Neill, M. & Jones, R.S.P. (1997) `Sensory-Perceptual Abnormalities in Autism: A Case for More Research?', Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders27 (3): 283-93.
32.
Ornitz, E.M. (1989) `Autism at the Interface between Sensory and Information Processing', in G. Dawson (ed.) Autism: Nature, Diagnosis and Treatment, pp. 174-207. New York: Guilford.
33.
Pohl, P., Dunn, W. & Brown, T. (2001) `The Role of Sensory Processing in the Everyday Lives of Older Adults', Occupational Therapy Journal of Research23 (3): 99-106.
34.
Rogers, S.J., Hepburn, S. & Wehner, E. (2003) `Parent Reports of Sensory Symptoms in Toddlers with Autism and Those with Other Developmental Disorders', Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders33 (6): 631-42.
35.
Watling, R.L., Deitz, J. & White, O. (2001) `Comparison of Sensory Profile Scores of Young Children with and without Autism Spectrum Disorders', American Journal of Occupational Therapy55 (4): 416-23.
36.
Wechsler, D. (1999a) Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence. San Antonio, TX: Harcourt Brace.
37.
Wechsler, D. (1999b) Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-III. San Antonio, TX: Harcourt Brace.
38.
Williams, D. (1992) Nobody Nowhere: The Remarkable Autobiography of an Autistic Girl. London: Jessica Kingsley.
39.
Woodbury-Smith, M.R., Robinson, J., Wheelwright, S. & Baron-Cohen, S. (2005) `Screening Adults for Asperger Syndrome Using the AQ: A Preliminary Study of its Diagnostic Validity in Clinical Practice', Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders35 (3): 331-5.
