Sensory Integration Education

Each month we take a look at the latest SI research and research of topical interest - this month, we have a focus on neurodiversity and neuroscience.

“I’m Not Mad, Bad, and Dangerous … Simply Wired Differently”: Exploring Factors Contributing to Good Quality of Life with Autistic Women

This new qualitative study explored the views of autistic women on how they define a good quality of life. The four themes identified by the data analysis were that positive sense of self, feeling supported, autonomy, and inclusion were key to influencing their perspectives of quality of life.

Navigation Abilities and Spatial Anxiety in Individuals with and without Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD/Dyspraxia)

This new study investigated navigational abilities in adults with DCD. The researchers found that spatial anxiety, which was a significant predictor of navigational skill for landmark recognition, navigation and orientation, distance estimation and wayfinding in the study, was higher in study participants with DCD compared to a control group without DCD.

School Participation of Autistic Youths: The Influence of Youth, Family and School Factors

This new study investigated the factors that influence autistic youths’ school participation. The study which was carried out in the Netherlands with 200 participants found that the physical and social environment played a significant role in autistic young people's experiences of school.

Altered Somatosensory Processing in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

This new (preprint) paper discusses the findings of a new study investigating tactile sensory processing in individuals with ADHD. The researchers found differences in touch sensitivity in participants with ADHD and found that an increase in touch sensitivity correlated with ADHD symptom severity.

Sensory Reactivity Assessment in Children: A Systematic Review

This recent systematic review researched the validity and reliability of standardised assessments for sensory reactivity in children aged 3-12 years. The researchers found that the reliability of the Sensory Processing 3-Dimensions Scale (SP3D) had the highest rating for methodological quality in the papers included.

Factors Associated with Mathematical Capacity in Children with Developmental Coordination Disorder

This new study investigated the frequency and nature of mathematical difficulties of school-aged children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD). The researchers found that 38% of study participants with DCD presented with poor mathematical capacity in basic mathematical concepts and problem-solving. This has implications for supporting young people with DCD in learning maths.

The Impact of Visual and Auditory Distractions on the Performance of Neurodiverse Students in Virtual Reality (VR) Environments

This new study investigated the impact of both visual and auditory distractions on speed and accuracy for completing virtual reality tasks for neurodivergent students. The researchers found that in this particular study, the background noise provided by researchers had a positive effect on neurodivergent learners to complete the given task, whilst it impacted negatively on neurotypical learners. The researchers speculated that it was possible that the sound provided might have blocked out other negative stimuli for neurodivergent learners. Many learners also found very light or dark lighting challenging.

Predictors of Health-Related Quality of Life in Neurodivergent Children: A Systematic Review

This recent systematic review investigated predictors of Health-Related Quality of Life in neurodivergent children. The researchers found that mental health, particularly depression and anxiety, had a significant impact on the health-related quality of life of neurodivergent young people and that more support is needed in this area.

Atypical Sensory Processing in Adolescents with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Comparative Study

This new study investigated sensory processing differences in adolescents aged 14-18 years with ADHD. The researchers found significant differences in all sensory components (low registration, sensation seeking, sensory sensitivity, sensation avoiding) on the Adult/Adolescent sensory profile for participants with ADHD in comparison to a control group without ADHD.

Mapping Neurodevelopmental Diversity in Executive Function

This new study investigated executive function in neurodivergent children and young people between the age of 8 and 18 years. Three main clusters were identified: 1) Children and young people characterised by difficulties on the cognitive performance-based tasks with near to age-typical everyday executive function behaviours; 2) Children and young people characterised by widespread difficulties across both the rating- and task-based executive function assessments and was therefore labelled as having consistent difficulties; and 3) Children and young people with close to age-typical task-based performance and greater difficulties on the rating-based assessments. In these three clusters there were differences in stress levels and anxiety.

Exploring the Presence and Impact of Sensory Differences in Children with Developmental Coordination Disorder

This new study explored sensory processing differences in children with DCD aged 8-12 years compared to a control group of participants without DCD. A significantly higher number of parents from the DCD group reported that their child presented with sensory differences particularly oversensitivity which impacted on their ability to complete daily tasks.

Enhancement of Visual Dominance Effects at the Response Level in Children with Attention-deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

This new study investigated the processing of visual and auditory sensory information in children with ADHD during cognitive tasks. The researchers found that participants with ADHD were more easily distracted by visual stimuli than participants without ADHD and that they were more frequently distracted by visual than auditory stimuli.

Postural Control and Sensory Processing in Preschool Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder: A Cross-Sectional Study

This new study investigated postural control and sensory processing differences in autistic children. The researchers found that autistic participants (aged 3-6 years) demonstrated more difficulties with balance and postural control in comparison to a neurotypical control group. Furthermore, the tests used demonstrated that autistic participants were more reliant on somatosensory input for postural control.