Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 12, 2025
Testing Sensory and Multisensory Function in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Published on: April 22, 2015
An exploratory study of the relationship between typically-developing school-age children's sensory processing and
Hannah Rg Sleeman1, Ted Brown2
1Occupational Science and Therapy Program, Faculty of Health, School of Health and Social Development, Deakin University Waterfront Campus, Geelong, VIC, Australia.
Introduction:
Children encounter several types of sensory input from their daily living environments and take in and process this information using their sensory systems. Few studies have considered the impact of children's sensory preferences on their activity participation. This study investigated the relationship between children's sensory processing factors and the daily activities they chose to participate in.
Method:
Twenty-three parents of typically developing school-aged children completed the Sensory Processing Measure Home Form and Children Participation Questionnaire-School. Spearman correlations were conducted between sensory preferences and participation, as measured by frequency, intensity, independence level, children's enjoyment and parental satisfaction. Regression models were also completed between each of the participation measures and sensory processing factors.
Results:
Sensory processing accounted for 69.8% (p = 0.001) of participation diversity's total variance with unique contributions made by body awareness (proprioception) and planning and ideas (p = 0.040); 45.9% (p = 0.024) of participation intensity's variance with touch made a unique contribution (p = 0.030) and 42.4% (p = 0.034) of participation independence's variance with body awareness (proprioception) made a unique contribution (p = 0.038).
Conclusion:
Considerations should be made for sensory processing screening for typically developing children and the impacts this could potentially have on their daily participation.
