Sensory Processing and Social Functioning in Younger and Older Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Background: The association between sensory processing and social functioning has been reported in children with developmental disabilities, especially in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, the association between the two has received less attention, especially in the older age group. Aim: The present study aimed to examine the differences in sensory processing in younger and older children with ASD. It further aimed to understand the relationship between sensory processing and social functioning in children with ASD and also to investigate if sensory features are predictive of social deficits in this population. Method: 123 mothers of younger (4-10 years) and older children (11- 18 years) with ASD participated in the study. The mean age of the participants was between 30-35 years old. The participants completed the socio-demographic profile, along with the Short Sensory Profile (SSP) and social problem dimension of the Child Behavioural Checklist (CBCL). t-test was computed to examine differences in sensory processing and social functioning in younger and older children. Pearson correlation and regression were computed to understand the relationship dynamics of sensory processing and social functioning.  Results: Results from the present study highlighted that the younger and older children with ASD significantly differed in the dimensions of taste and smell, movement sensitivity, low energy and visual and auditory filtering of SSP sig at .01 and .05 levels. Sensory processing significantly correlated with social functioning. Further, it was found that auditory filtering, tactile sensitivity and underresponsive/sensation seeking significantly predicted social functioning in younger and older children with ASD sig. at p<.01 and p<.05 level.    Conclusion: Understanding the relationship between sensory processing and social functioning will guide the therapists to formulate interventions that target the sensory features affecting social functioning in the ASD population in different age groups.