ANALYSIS OF SENSORY PROCESSING ABILITIES AMONG AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS CHILDREN

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Autism is characterized by the complex paradigm of intellectual disabilities that leads to impairment in sensory integration, communication barriers and social interaction. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to analyze the sensory processing abilities among autism children. Further the study will be helpful in identifying difficulties faced by autistic children in multidimensional aspects. METHODOLOGY A cross-sectional study was conducted at special education institute/schools of Karachi among the Autism Spectrum Children to evaluate the patterns of sensory integration by using Short Sensory Profile. RESULTS A total of 50 children, 23 males and 27 females with mean age of 9.5±1.84 years included in the study. On SSP, the mean scores of participants were 17.89±7.61 in tactile sensitivity, 16.66±6.90 in Under-responsive/Seeks Sensation, 14.45±5.75 in Visual/Auditory Sensitivity, 17.77±7.04 in Auditory Filtering, 19.57±7.91 in Low Energy/Weak while lowest scores were reported in Taste/Smell Sensitivity and Movement Sensitivity. CONCLUSION It was concluded that definite difference is more prevalent among children with autism whereas varying percentages are found on different items on Short sensory profile. Further studies are required to assess the sensory processing issues for more useful outcomes.