The effect of sensory processing abilities on participation of children with autism

Children with autism have sensory processing difficulties that may affect their participation. Inadequate information exists about the impact of sensory processing abilities on participation in these children. Purpose of the study was to assess the impact of sensory processing abilities on everyday life participation in children with autism. Participants in this study were 40 children 5 to 11 years old with autism. Sensory processing abilities were evaluated by Dunn sensory profile and participation was assessed by Life Habit Questionnaire (Life-H). A significant relationship was found out between visual processing, tactile processing, Processing related to tone and endurance, sensory processing related to posture and movement, sensory processing related to tolerance and low muscle tone and sensory sensitivity with the total score of participation of children with autism (p<0.05). Among these factors, sensory sensitivity have most contributions in explaining participation rate (β= 0.49). Weakness in sensory processing, specifically sensory sensitivity, could be an important factor in limiting the participation of children with autism in activities.