Brief report: assessment of sensory abnormalities in people with autistic spectrum disorders

Sensory functioning has long been considered crucial in the life of people with autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) (Gillberg, C., & Coleman, M. (1992). The Biology of Autistic Syndromes (2nd ed.). London: Mac Keith press.) However, much of the research is methodologically flawed and based on child populations and adults' retrospective accounts (O'Neill, M.C 1995). Sensory-perceptual abnormalities in autism. Psychological Perspectives in Autism-Conference Proceedings 1995 (pp. 55-61). Autism Research Unit, University of Sundarland). Such sensory dysfunction may contribute to poor person/environment fit and subsequent challenging behaviour. This paper presents an assessment tool developed to explore the sensory functioning of adults with ASD.