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Updated: Nov 27, 2025
Testing Sensory and Multisensory Function in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Published on: April 22, 2015
Activity Participation and Sensory Processing Patterns of Preschool-Age Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder
1Ling-Yi Lin, ScD, is Associate Professor, Department of Occupational Therapy, and Associate Professor, Institute of Allied Health Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan; lingyi@mail.ncku.edu.tw.
Insights
Preschool children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) show less diverse activity participation and distinct sensory processing patterns compared to typically developing peers. Sensory patterns correlate with social participation in children with ASD.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Pediatric Occupational Therapy
- Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
Background:
- Limited understanding exists regarding activity participation and sensory processing in preschool children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
- Investigating these factors is crucial for developing targeted interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare activity participation and sensory processing patterns between preschool-aged children with ASD and typically developing (TD) children.
- To explore the relationship between sensory processing and activity participation in children with ASD.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 40 preschool children with ASD and 40 TD children (ages 36-71 months).
- Data collected using the Childhood Autism Rating Scale, Assessment of Preschool Children's Participation, and the Short Sensory Profile 2 (SSP-2).
Main Results:
- Children with ASD exhibited significantly lower participation diversity in play, physical recreation, and social activities compared to TD children.
- Children with ASD demonstrated higher scores across all four sensory processing quadrants on the SSP-2.
- A negative correlation was found between social activity participation and sensory quadrant scores in children with ASD.
Conclusions:
- Preschool children with ASD engage differently in daily activities and exhibit unique sensory processing profiles.
- Sensory processing patterns appear to influence social activity participation in young children with ASD.
- Findings inform occupational therapy interventions to enhance participation for children with ASD in natural settings.
Importance:
A dearth of information is available on the relationship between activity participation and sensory processing patterns in preschool-age children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Objective:
To investigate differences in activity participation and sensory processing patterns between preschool-age children with ASD and typically developing (TD) children.
Design:
Cross-sectional.
Setting:
Clinics, hospitals, early intervention centers, and preschools in Tainan, Taiwan.
Participants:
Forty children with ASD and 40 TD children (ages 36-71 mo).
Outcomes And Measures:
The Childhood Autism Rating Scale (2nd ed., Standard Version), Assessment of Preschool Children's Participation, and Short Sensory Profile 2 (SSP-2).
Results:
Compared with TD children, children with ASD had significantly lower scores on participation diversity in activities across areas of play, physical recreation, and social activities and higher scores in each of the four sensory quadrants. For children with ASD, participation in social activities was significantly negatively correlated with SSP-2 quadrant scores.
Conclusions And Relevance:
These findings have implications for how preschool-age children with ASD typically engage in daily activities and suggest that some sensory processing patterns may be associated with participation in social activities.
What This Article Adds:
Occupational therapy practitioners can facilitate activity participation for preschool-age children with ASD by using their strengths and the activities that they find interesting; practitioners should consider the role of sensory systems to promote activity participation in natural settings.
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