Dataset Information

Self and caregiver report measurement of sensory features in autism spectrum disorder: a systematic review of psychometric properties.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Unusual responses to sensory stimuli are considered a diagnostic symptom of autism spectrum disorder with mounting research efforts put towards understanding, characterizing, and treating such symptoms.

Methods

This paper examines self and caregiver report tools used to measure sensory features in ASD through a systematic review of the psychometric evidence for their use. A total of 31 empirical papers were reviewed across 20 assessment tools. Substantial differences were identified in the specific sensory features defined across assessment tools. Sensory assessment questionnaires were evaluated against quality psychometric evidence criteria to provide a use recommendation.

Results

Five assessments were identified to be "appropriate with conditions," while no sensory assessment tools were identified to have sufficient quality psychometric evidence to provide a recommendation of "Appropriate" for measuring sensory features in ASD.

Conclusion

Evidence from this review highlights potentially significant shortcomings among the current methods used to measure sensory features in ASD and suggests the need for more efforts in developing psychometrically sound sensory assessment tools for use in ASD populations.

SUBMITTER: Gunderson J

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9875408 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Self and caregiver report measurement of sensory features in autism spectrum disorder: a systematic review of psychometric properties.

Gunderson Jaclyn J Worthley Emma E Byiers Breanne B Symons Frank F Wolff Jason J

Journal of neurodevelopmental disorders 20230125 1

<h4>Background</h4>Unusual responses to sensory stimuli are considered a diagnostic symptom of autism spectrum disorder with mounting research efforts put towards understanding, characterizing, and treating such symptoms.<h4>Methods</h4>This paper examines self and caregiver report tools used to measure sensory features in ASD through a systematic review of the psychometric evidence for their use. A total of 31 empirical papers were reviewed across 20 assessment tools. Substantial differences we ...[more]

PMID: 36698071

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Project description:BackgroundAtypical reactions to the sensory environment are often reported in autistic individuals, with a high degree of variability across the sensory modalities. These sensory differences have been shown to promote challenging behaviours and distress in autistic individuals and are predictive of other functions including motor, social, and cognitive abilities. Preliminary research suggests that specific sensory differences may cluster together within individuals creating discrete sensory phenotypes. However, the manner in which these sensory differences cluster, and whether the resulting phenotypes are associated with specific cognitive and social challenges is unclear.MethodsShort sensory profile data from 599 autistic children and adults between the ages of 1 and 21 years were subjected to a K-means cluster analysis. Analysis of variances compared age, adaptive behaviour, and traits associated with autism, attention-deficit and hyperactivity disorder, and obsessive and compulsive disorder across the resultant clusters.ResultsA five-cluster model was found to minimize error variance and produce five sensory phenotypes: (1) sensory adaptive, (2) generalized sensory differences, (3) taste and smell sensitivity, (4) under-responsive and sensation seeking, and (5) movement difficulties with low energy. Age, adaptive behaviour, and traits associated with autism, attention-deficit and hyperactivity disorder, and obsessive and compulsive disorder were found to differ significantly across the five phenotypes.LimitationsThe results were based on parent-report measures of sensory processing, adaptive behaviour, traits associated with autism, attention-deficit and hyperactivity disorder, and obsessive and compulsive disorder, which may limit the generalizability of the findings. Further, not all measures are standardized, or psychometrically validated with an autism population. Autistic individuals with an intellectual disability were underrepresented in this sample. Further, as these data were obtained from established records from a large provincial database, not all measures were completed for all individuals.ConclusionsThese findings suggest that sensory difficulties in autistic individuals can be clustered into sensory phenotypes, and that these phenotypes are associated with behavioural differences. Given the large degree of heterogeneity in sensory difficulties seen in the autistic population, these sensory phenotypes represent an effective way to parse that heterogeneity and create phenotypes that may aid in the development of effective treatments and interventions for sensory difficulties.

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Dataset Information

Self and caregiver report measurement of sensory features in autism spectrum disorder: a systematic review of psychometric properties.

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Publications

Self and caregiver report measurement of sensory features in autism spectrum disorder: a systematic review of psychometric properties.

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