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Updated: Mar 13, 2026
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Testing Sensory and Multisensory Function in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Published on: April 22, 2015
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Reliability of Electrodermal Activity: Quantifying Sensory Processing in Children With Autism
Barbara M Schupak1, Raju K Parasher2, Genevieve Pinto Zipp3
1Barbara M. Schupak, PhD, MPH, OTR, is President, Barpak Occupational Therapy, Bergenfield, NJ. At the time of the study, she was Doctoral Candidate, School of Health and Medical Sciences, Department of Graduate Programs in Health Sciences, Seton Hall University, South Orange, NJ; Barpak99@gmail.com.
Summary
Electrodermal activity (EDA) measures reliably quantify sensory responses in children with and without autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study confirms EDA
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by differences in sensory processing.
- Quantifying physiological responses to sensory stimuli is crucial for understanding sensory processing in children with and without ASD.
- Electrodermal activity (EDA) is a non-invasive physiological measure reflecting sympathetic nervous system arousal.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish the test-retest reliability of electrodermal markers for quantifying physiological responses to sensory stimuli.
- To assess the reliability of EDA measures in children with and without Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) using the Sensory Challenge Protocol.
- To determine if EDA can serve as a reliable physiological marker for sensory processing differences.
Main Methods:
- Electrodermal activity (EDA) was measured in 14 children with ASD and 18 typically developing children.
- Participants underwent two testing sessions separated by 2-6 weeks.
- Measures included skin conductance response, skin conductance level, nonspecific skin conductance response, and habituation during rest and sensory stimulation.
Main Results:
- Test-retest reliability, evaluated using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs), showed moderate to good results for most EDA measures.
- ICCs for rest-phase EDA ranged from moderate (.65-.73) for both groups.
- Reliability for responses to sensory stimuli varied from moderate to excellent (.50-.93) across different measures.
Conclusions:
- Electrodermal activity (EDA) measures demonstrate reliable test-retest stability in quantifying physiological responses to sensory input.
- EDA serves as a dependable physiological marker for assessing sensory responses in children, including those with ASD.
- These findings support the use of EDA in research and clinical settings to understand sensory processing in diverse pediatric populations.
