The perceived casual relations between sensory reactivity differences and anxiety symptoms in autistic adults

Rates of anxiety are inordinately high in autistic adults. Sensory reactivity differences, such as hyperreactivity (e.g., strong reactions to sound), hyporeactivity (e.g., no, or slower reactions to pain), and seeking (e.g., fascination with spinning objects) are a diagnostic criterion of autism and have been linked with anxiety. Understanding how individuals perceive these to be causally related can impact assessment and treatment of anxiety. Therefore, we examined the perceived causal relations between sensory reactivity differences and anxiety in autistic adults.246 autistic adults aged 18 – 76 years took part in an online study. They completed self-report assessments of sensory reactivity differences, and anxiety, followed by the perceived causal relations scale; indicating if they perceived their sensory reactivity differences to be more of a cause or an effect of their anxiety symptoms.Sensory reactivity differences were found to be significantly related to anxiety. Furthermore, total sensory hyperreactivity and visual, auditory, and olfactory hyperreactivity was perceived to be more of a cause of anxiety, whilst total sensory seeking and tactile and vestibular seeking was perceived to be more of an effect of anxiety. Therefore, sensory hyperreactivity and sensory seeking may be important to consider in anxiety treatments for autistic individuals.

In Our Own Words: The Complex Sensory Experiences of Autistic Adults

Autistic adults commonly experience sensory reactivity differences. Sensory hyperreactivity is frequently researched, whilst hyporeactivity and seeking, and experiences across domains, e.g., vision, are often neglected. Therefore, we aimed to understand more about the sensory experiences of autistic adults. We conducted a mixed-methods study, co-produced with stakeholders; recruiting 49 autistic adults who completed an online survey. Firstly, quantitative results and content analysis enhanced our understanding of sensory input/contexts associated with sensory hyperreactivity, hyporeactivity, and seeking across modalities. Secondly, thematic analysis developed themes relating to ‘Outcomes’, ‘Control’, ‘Tolerance and management’, and ‘The role of other people’, informing a theoretical model of sensory reactivity differences in autistic adults. These findings have implications for support services and improving quality of life for autistic adults.

The relationship between sensory reactivity, intolerance of uncertainty and anxiety subtypes in preschool-age autistic children

Sensory reactivity differences are a diagnostic criterion of autism. Sensory hyperreactivity has been linked to intolerance of uncertainty and anxiety in autistic children. However, research is yet to explore the mediating relationships or sensory hyporeactivity, seeking and anxiety subtypes in preschool-age autistic children. Therefore, we aimed to elucidate the relationships between sensory reactivity, intolerance of uncertainty and anxiety subtypes in a heterogeneous group of 54 preschool-age autistic children, age 3–5 years, using observation and parent-report assessments. Correlational analysis found sensory hyperreactivity, intolerance of uncertainty and total anxiety were significantly intercorrelated. In addition, sensory hyperreactivity was significantly correlated with separation anxiety when controlling for autism traits. Serial mediation analyses indicated significant full mediation between sensory hyperreactivity and anxiety through intolerance of uncertainty, and significant full mediation between sensory hyperreactivity and intolerance of uncertainty through anxiety. Our results suggest that sensory hyperreactivity is a key early factor in the development of anxiety, and supports that intolerance of uncertainty is an important interrelated construct in the development and maintenance of anxiety in autism. Our findings have important implications for the development of effective interventions. However, due to limitations with the measures, our research also highlights a pressing need for objective assessments of anxiety and intolerance of uncertainty that can be used with preschool-age autistic children. Lay abstract This study found links between greater sensory hyperreactivity (e.g., over-sensitive to sensory input), intolerance of uncertainty and anxiety, including separation anxiety, in autistic pre-schoolers. Sensory hyperreactivity may predict both anxiety and intolerance of uncertainty, and anxiety and intolerance of uncertainty may both be mutually important, mediating factors. These findings have implications for early anxiety interventions. But there is a pressing need for objective assessments that can be used with preschool-age autistic children.

In our own words: The complex sensory experiences of autistic adults

Sensory reactivity differences are commonly experienced by autistic adults. Sensory hyperreactivity is frequently researched, whilst sensory hyporeactivity and seeking, and experiences across domains, e.g., vision or touch, are often neglected. Therefore, our online qualitative study, co-produced with stakeholders, aimed to understand more about the sensory experiences in a large sample of 49 autistic adults. Firstly, content analysis identified sensory input and contexts associated with sensory reactivity differences across modalities. Secondly, using thematic analysis we developed themes relating to ‘Outcomes’, ‘Control’, ‘Tolerance and management’, and ‘The role of other people’, which informed a theoretical model of sensory reactivity differences in autistic adults. Our study has important implications for support services and improving quality of life for autistic adults.

The relationship between sensory reactivity, intolerance of uncertainty and anxiety subtypes in preschool-age autistic children

Sensory reactivity differences are a diagnostic criterion in autism spectrum conditions. Sensory hyperreactivity has been linked to intolerance of uncertainty (IU) and anxiety in autistic children. However, research is yet to explore the mediating relationships or sensory hyporeactivity, seeking, and anxiety subtypes in preschool-age autistic children. Therefore, we aimed to elucidate the relationships between sensory reactivity, IU and anxiety subtypes in a heterogeneous group of 54 preschool-age autistic children, age 3-6 years, using a range of observational and parent-report assessments. Correlational analysis found sensory hyperreactivity, IU and anxiety subtypes, including generalised anxiety, social anxiety, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, physical injury fears, and separation anxiety, were significantly intercorrelated. Neither sensory hyporeactivity or seeking were significantly related to IU or anxiety subtypes. Serial mediation analyses indicated significant full mediation between sensory hyperreactivity and anxiety through IU, and significant full mediation between sensory hyperreactivity and IU through anxiety in preschool-age autistic children.Our results therefore suggest that theoretical models of anxiety in autism should consider sensory hyperreactivity as a predictive factor for anxiety, and supports that IU is an important interrelated construct in the development and maintenance of anxiety. Our findings have important implications for understanding anxiety and related symptoms in autistic children, which can inform the development of effective interventions. However, due to limitations with the measures, our research also highlights a pressing need for objective assessments of anxiety and IU that can be used with preschool-age autistic children.

Temporal resolution relates to sensory hyperreactivity independently of stimulus detection sensitivity in individuals with autism spectrum disorder

BackgroundResearchers have been focused on perceptual characteristics of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in terms of sensory hyperreactivity. Previously, we demonstrated that temporal resolution, which is the accuracy in differentiating the order of two successive vibrotactile stimuli, is associated with the severity of sensory hyperreactivity (Ide et al. 2019). Herein, we examined whether an increase in the perceptual intensity of a tactile stimulus, despite its short duration, is derived from high temporal resolution and a high frequency of sensory temporal summation.MethodSixteen participants with ASD and fifteen typically developing (TD) participants performed two psychophysical experimental tasks, and we evaluated the detectable duration of vibrotactile stimuli with the same amplitude and temporal resolution. Sensory hyperreactivity was estimated using a self-reported questionnaire.ResultsThere was no relationship between temporal resolution and the duration of detectable stimuli in either group. However, the ASD group showed more severe sensory hyperreactivity in daily life than the TD group did, and ASD participants with severe sensory hyperreactivity tended to have high temporal resolution but not high sensitivity for detectable duration.ConclusionContrary to our hypothesis, there might be different processing between temporal resolution and sensitivity for stimulus detection. Sensory reactivity in daily life would not be based on sensitivity for stimulus detection measured in an experimental task, and we suggest that atypical temporal processing would affect sensory reactivity in ASD. Keywords (within 6 keywords): Temporal resolution, Temporal summation, Autism spectrum disorder, Hyperreactivity, Gap detection