Sensory features in autism: Findings from a large population-based surveillance system

Area of Science:

• Neurodevelopmental disorders
• Pediatric psychology
• Clinical audiology

Background:

• Sensory features are diagnostic criteria for autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
• Large population-based studies on sensory features in autistic children are limited.
• Understanding prevalence and associations is crucial for support.

Purpose of the Study:

• Determine the prevalence of sensory features in a large cohort of autistic children.
• Examine associations between sensory features, demographics, and co-occurring conditions.
• Investigate potential disparities in the identification of sensory features.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 25,627 autistic children aged 4 or 8 years from the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network (2006-2014).
• Calculation of prevalence for sensory features.
• Multilevel logistic regression modeling to assess associations.

Main Results:

• 74% of autistic children had documented sensory features.
• Male children and those with more educated mothers had higher odds of sensory features.
• Lower odds of sensory features were observed in racial/ethnic minority groups compared to White, non-Hispanic children.
• Sensory features were associated with adaptive behavior, emotional, attention, motor, eating, and sleeping problems.

Conclusions:

• A high prevalence of sensory features exists in autistic children.
• Sensory features are linked to various co-occurring problems and demographics.
• Potential disparities in sensory feature identification warrant further research and clinical attention to ensure equitable access to support.