Construct Validation of the Short Sensory Profile-2 (SSP-2) for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

The article describes and analyzes the questionnaire “Short Sensory Profile (SSP)”. The original variant of the Profile, its features and advantages in using as a diagnostic tool and as an informational material describing for parents the specifics of their children’s disorders are described. The impaired processing and integration of sensory information characteristic for healthy children and children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is examined. Attention is drawn that sensory features and its violations characteristic for healthy and ASD children should be researched with a Ukrainian sample. The results of SSP adaptation and validation with the sample of Ukrainian children are presented. The questionnaire was translated into Ukrainian language from the original one (English) by a professional interpreter. The adapted version passed an asymmetrical translation, which helped to preserve the meanings of used statements and comply with the requirements of language clarity and certainty. The parents of 506 children (293 healthy children and 213 children with autism spectrum disorder) took part in the questionnaire adaptation; they filled the questionnaire about their children’s sensory patterns. Children were further divided into 6 groups by age and the presence / absence of a diagnosed autism spectrum disorder. Excel 2016 was used to calculate the scores, and IBM SPSS v.23 statistical application was used to check the psychometric characteristics of the questionnaire. The SSP psychometric characteristics, such as internal consistency of the statements, retest reliability, obvious validity, validity by the criteria and constructive validity, were at high and sufficient levels. The procedure and interpretation of the study results were standardized. For this, the frequency distribution was calculated by the general indicator and additionally by age groups to determine the severity of sensory disturbances in children and adolescents. According to the results of frequency distribution, the overall distribution of scores was determined, which gave the possibility to determine the presence and severity of the violations in processing and integration of sensory information by children and adolescents.

Download Full-text

Implication of the Sensory Environment in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Perspectives from School

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18147670 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (14) ◽

pp. 7670

Author(s):

Ana Gentil-Gutiérrez ◽

José Luis Cuesta-Gómez ◽

Paula Rodríguez-Fernández ◽

Jerónimo Javier González-Bernal

Keyword(s):

Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽

Sensory Processing ◽

Children With Autism ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Spectrum Disorder ◽

Sensory Profile ◽

School Factors ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Sensory Stimuli ◽

Children With Asd

(1) Background: Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) frequently have difficulties in processing sensory information, which is a limitation when participating in different contexts, such as school. The objective of the present study was to compare the sensory processing characteristics of children with ASD in the natural context of school through the perception of professionals in the field of education, in comparison with neurodevelopmental children (2) Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study as conducted with study population consisting of children between three and ten years old, 36 of whom were diagnosed with ASD and attended the Autismo Burgos association; the remaining 24 had neurotypical development. The degree of response of the children to sensory stimuli at school was evaluated using the Sensory Profile-2 (SP-2) questionnaire in its school version, answered by the teachers. (3) Results: Statistically significant differences were found in sensory processing patterns (p = 0.001), in sensory systems (p = 0.001) and in school factors (p = 0.001). Children with ASD who obtained worse results. (4) Conclusions: Children with ASD are prone to present sensory alterations in different contexts, giving nonadapted behavioral and learning responses.

Download Full-text

Psychometric Evaluation of the Short Sensory Profile in Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders ◽

10.1007/s10803-018-3678-7 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 48 (12) ◽

pp. 4231-4249 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Zachary J. Williams ◽

Michelle D. Failla ◽

Katherine O. Gotham ◽

Tiffany G. Woynaroski ◽

Carissa Cascio

Keyword(s):

Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽

Psychometric Evaluation ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Spectrum Disorder ◽

Sensory Profile ◽

Short Sensory Profile

Download Full-text

Hypo- and hyper- sensory processing heterogeneity in Autism Spectrum Disorder

10.21203/rs.3.rs-1107905/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Aline Lefebvre ◽

Julian Tillmann ◽

Freddy Cliquet ◽

Frederique Amsellem ◽

Anna Maruani ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽

Sensory Processing ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Spectrum Disorder ◽

Sensory Profile ◽

Deleterious Mutations ◽

Short Sensory Profile ◽

First Degree Relatives ◽

Hyper Sensitivity ◽

Glutamatergic Pathways

Abstract Background. Sensory processing atypicalities are part of the core symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and could result from an excitation/inhibition imbalance. Yet, the convergence level of phenotypic sensory processing atypicalities with genetic alterations in GABA-ergic and glutamatergic pathways remains poorly understood. This study aimed to characterize the distribution of hypo/hyper-sensory profile among individuals with ASD and investigate the role of deleterious mutations in GABAergic and glutamatergic pathways related genes in sensory processing atypicalities. Method. From the Short Sensory Profile (SSP) questionnaire, we defined and explored a score – the differential Short Sensory Profile (dSSP) - as a normalized and centralized hypo/hypersensitivity ratio for 1136 participants (533 with ASD, 210 first-degree relatives, and 267 controls) from two independent study samples (PARIS and LEAP). We also performed an unsupervised item-based clustering analysis on SSP items scores to validate this new categorization in terms of hypo and hyper sensitivity. We then explored the link between the dSSP score and the burden of deleterious mutations in a subset of individuals for which whole-genome sequencing data were available. Results. We observed a mean dSSP score difference between ASD and controls, driven mostly by a high dSSP score variability among groups (PARIS: p<0.0001, η2 = 0.0001, LEAP: p<0.0001, Cohen’s d=3.67). First-degree relatives were with an intermediate distribution variability profile (p<0.0001). We also reported a positive developmental trajectory of the dSSP score (PARIS: p=0.0006, η2 = 0.02; LEAP: p=0.01, η2 = 0.01). Clusters were similarly characterized by hypo- and hyper-sensitivity items in both study samples (Cramer's V from 0.64 to 0.69, p<0.05). Our genetic analysis showed a trend only for an association with mutations of the GABAergic pathway.Limitations. The major limitation was the dSSP score difficulty to discriminate subjects with a similar quantum of hypo- and hyper- sensory symptoms to those with no such symptoms, resulting both in a similar ratio score of 0.Conclusion. The dSSP score could be a relevant clinical score of the hypo/hyper-sensory individual profile in subjects with ASD. Combined with additional sensory domain characteristics, genetics and endophenotypic substrates, the dSSP score will offer new avenues to explore the underlying neurobiological mechanisms of sensory processing atypicalities in ASD.

Download Full-text

Parental perception of stress and emotional-behavioural difficulties of children with autism spectrum disorder and specific language impairment

Autism & Developmental Language Impairments ◽

10.1177/2396941520971502 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 5 ◽

pp. 239694152097150

Author(s):

Magda Di Renzo ◽

Federico Bianchi di Castelbianco ◽

Elena Vanadia ◽

Massimiliano Petrillo ◽

Lidia Racinaro ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽

Language Impairment ◽

Specific Language Impairment ◽

Children With Autism ◽

Well Being ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Spectrum Disorder ◽

Sensory Profile ◽

Control Group ◽

Specific Language

Background and aims The daily challenges of caring for a child with autism spectrum disorder affect many areas of everyday life and parental well-being, as well as parents’ ability to manage the needs of the family and the child concerned. A better understanding of parents’ perception of their child’s characteristics can allow better support for them and individualize intervention protocols in a more accurate way. The main objective of this study is the evaluation of the perception of stress by parents of children with autism compared to parents of children with specific language impairment. Methods The parents of 87 children aged between 2 and 6 years were included in this study, 34 children with a specific language impairment diagnosis and 53 children with an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis (ASD) or at risk of developing it. They were asked to complete a self-report on perceived stress and rating scales on adaptive/problematic behaviours, executive functions and sensory profile of the child. Results The results reveal that parents of ASD children, compared to the control group, showed significantly higher levels of stress, mainly due to the difficulty of managing unexpected events, the feeling of loss of control over one's life and the fear of not being able to cope with the adversities they were experiences. The most critical area, both for ASD and control group, concern the executive function related to emotional reactions. Conclusions Thus, we argue that the difficulties in self-control, sensory modulation and emotional regulation, represent an element of stress for parents of children with developmental disorders. Implications: Regarding the difficulties of children with ASD, supporting the ways in which caregivers adapt to the signals of children is an important strategy, which has now become a key element of treatments for autism mediated by parents.

Download Full-text

The possible link between Fetuin-A Protein and Neuro-inflammation in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences ◽

10.12669/pjms.37.4.4032 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 37 (4) ◽

Author(s):

Laila Yousif Al-Ayadhi ◽

Farah Ali Alghamdi ◽

Lamees Abdula Altamimi ◽

Luluh Yousef Alsughayer ◽

Abdulrahman Mohammad Alhowikan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽

Children With Autism ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Spectrum Disorder ◽

Sensory Profile ◽

Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Autistic Children ◽

Fetuin A ◽

Neuro Inflammation

Objectives: To investigate the blood plasma levels of Fetuin-A protein in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and healthy controls that could offer novel diagnostic biomarkers of disease development in ASD. Another objective was to investigate the severity of autistic children by Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) and Short Sensory Profile (SSP). Methods: This case control study was carried out at Autism Research and Treatment (ART) Center, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from October 2019 to February 2020. Plasma concentration of Fetuin-A was analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in ASD subjects (n=46) and normal controls (n=44). Correlation among Fetuin-A levels, CARS and SSP was established by Spearman’s correlation coefficient (r). Results: Overall, autistic children had significantly (p= 0.0.02) lower Fetuin-A concentration [50.76 (22.2-68.5) ng/ml] than those of healthy controls [53.7 (35.6-99.7) ng/ml] [median (interquartile range)]. Children with mild to moderate autism (n=24, 52%) also showed significantly lower Fetuin-A levels [50.0 (30.0-68.2) ng/ml], (p =0.02} than healthy controls [53.7 (35.6-99.7) ng/ml] [median (IQR)]. However, there was no significant change (p = 0.71) observed between the Fetuin-A levels of children with severe autism [51.8 (22.2-68.5)] ng/ml, mild to moderate autism [50 (30-68.2)] ng/ml [median (IQR)] and healthy controls (p=0.12). Also no significant correlations between Fetuin-A, CARS and SSP were observed (CARS, r= 0.024, p=0.88; SSP, r= -0.003, p=0.98). Conclusion: Overall the low Fetuin-A plasma values in ASD subjects, most likely show that Fetuin-A could be associated in the physiology of autism. Further studies with larger patient and control cohorts will be necessary to determine whether Fetuin-A can be used as a biomarker for ASD. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.4.4032 How to cite this:Al-Ayadhi LY, Alghamdi FA, Altamimi LA, Alsughayer LY, Alhowikan AM, Halepoto DM. The possible link between Fetuin-A Protein and Neuro-inflammation in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Pak J Med Sci. 2021;37(4):---------. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.4.4032 This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Download Full-text

Effects of a parent-implemented Developmental Reciprocity Treatment Program for children with autism spectrum disorder

Autism ◽

10.1177/1362361318775538 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 23 (3) ◽

pp. 713-725 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Grace W Gengoux ◽

Salena Schapp ◽

Sarah Burton ◽

Christina M Ardel ◽

Robin A Libove ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽

Pilot Study ◽

Parent Training ◽

Empirical Support ◽

Children With Autism ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Spectrum Disorder ◽

Sensory Profile ◽

Autism Symptoms ◽

Sensory Regulation

Developmental approaches to autism treatment aim to establish strong interpersonal relationships through joint play. These approaches have emerging empirical support; however, there is a need for further research documenting the procedures and demonstrating their effectiveness. This pilot study evaluated changes in parent behavior and child autism symptoms following a 12-week Developmental Reciprocity Treatment parent-training program. A total of 22 children with autism spectrum disorder between 2 and 6 years (mean age = 44.6 months, standard deviation = 12.7) and a primary caregiver participated in 12 weekly sessions of Developmental Reciprocity Treatment parent training, covering topics including introduction to developmental approaches, supporting attention and motivation, sensory regulation and sensory-social routines, imitation/building nonverbal communication, functional language development, and turn taking. Results indicated improvement in aspects of parent empowerment and social quality of life. Improvement in core autism symptoms was observed on the Social Responsiveness Scale total score (F(1,19): 5.550, p = 0.029), MacArthur–Bates Communicative Development Inventories number of words produced out of 680 (F(1,18): 18.104, p = 0.000), and two subscales of the Repetitive Behavior Scale, Revised (compulsive, p = 0.046 and restricted, p = 0.025). No differences in sensory sensitivity were observed on the Short Sensory Profile. Findings from this pilot study indicate that Developmental Reciprocity Treatment shows promise and suggest the need for future controlled trials of this developmentally based intervention.

Download Full-text

The relationship between the sensory processing and occupational motor skills of children with autism spectrum disorder

International Journal of Therapy and Rehabilitation ◽

10.12968/ijtr.2019.0137 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-8

Author(s):

Babak Kashefimehr ◽

Meral Huri ◽

Hulya Kayihan ◽

Naser Havaei

Keyword(s):

Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽

Motor Skills ◽

Sensory Processing ◽

Motor Skill ◽

Children With Autism ◽

Prediction Equation ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Spectrum Disorder ◽

Sensory Profile ◽

The Relationship

Background/Aims Motor skills difficulties may affect participation and communication in children with autism. Sensory processing problems are well-known problems in children with autism, so sensory processing could be important to predicate motor skills. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between sensory processing and occupational motor skills and the ability to predict motor skill performances using sensory abilities. Methods A total of 31 children with autism participated in the study. The Sensory Profile questionnaire and Short Child Occupational Profile tool were used to assess the sensory ability and occupational motor skills of the children (boys=90.3%; mean age=5.45 years ± 1.73 years). The backward method of correlation coefficient analysis, multiple linear regression analysis, and multiple regressions were used for statistical analysis. Results There was a significant relationship between occupational motor skills and sensory processing capabilities of children. The regression prediction equation was statistically significant in all sections of sensory processing except for oral processing (F (6.24)=4.46, P=0.004), with a value of R2=0.527 and R2Adj=0.409. Modelling motor skills based on sensory processing capabilities of children showed that the regression prediction equation was statistically significant (F (2.28) =11.87, P<0.001); with the value of R2=0.459 and R2Adj=0.420. In the final model, the factors of auditory processing and multi-sensory were found effective in children's motor skills (P<0.05). Conclusions Sensory processing is related to occupational motor skills and can help to predict occupational motor skill issues of children with autism spectrum disorder. This could be helpful to develop appropriate treatments to improve the functional motor skills of children with autism.

Download Full-text

Cluster Analysis of Short Sensory Profile Data Reveals Sensory-based Subgroups in Autism Spectrum Disorder

10.21203/rs.3.rs-248609/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Ariel Maia Lyons-Warren ◽

Ying-Wooi Wan

Keyword(s):

Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽

Cluster Analysis ◽

Neurodevelopmental Disorder ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Spectrum Disorder ◽

Sensory Profile ◽

Targeted Interventions ◽

Short Sensory Profile ◽

Sensory Features ◽

Variant Frequency

Abstract Background: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impairment in social interactions and communication. Additional features include restricted, repetitive patterns of behaviors, and differences in sensory processing. The clinical presentation of patients with ASD is heterogeneous, likely reflecting multiple underlying etiologies. Heterogeneity in presentation and treatment response are barriers to development of precise therapeutic approaches. Therefore, identification of clinically meaningful subgroups within ASD is critical to develop targeted interventions. We hypothesized that sensory features can be used to identify clinically recognizable subgroups with shared underlying etiologies. Methods: Subjects included 378 individuals with a clinical diagnosis of ASD who contributed Short Sensory Profile (SSP) data assessing the frequency of sensory behaviors and whole genome sequencing results to the Autism Speaks’ MSSNG database. To determine if the SSP could be used to subgroup individuals with ASD, we performed cluster analysis on responses to all 38 questions, followed by an independent cluster analysis using only a subset of questions selected specifically to assay hyper- and hypo-sensitivity to sensory stimulation. Cross-validation of the resulting clusters determined the final subgroups. To test for shared underlying etiologies, we correlated variant frequency across subgroups for each of 24,896 genes. Variant frequency included any variation in each gene regardless of the type of variant. To be significantly associated with a subgroup, a gene variant frequency had to be greater than four standard deviations (SD) from the mean frequency for all subgroups and 3 SD different from each subgroup.Results: We identified seven distinct sensory-based ASD subgroups. Subgroup 1, characterized by atypical scores in all sensory areas, was not associated with any genes. Subgroups 2, 4 and 6 were significantly associated with four to six genes each. Subgroups 3, 5 and 7 were enriched for 126, 12 and 50 genes, respectively. Limitations: This study was performed using retrospective data that did not include other phenotypic data such as age, comorbidities, or measures of disease severity. All those likely contribute to the variability of the identified subgroupsConclusions: These results support the use of sensory features to identify ASD subgroups with shared genetic mechanisms.

Download Full-text

Longitudinal Study of Sensory Features in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Autism Research and Treatment ◽

10.1155/2017/1934701 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 2017 ◽

pp. 1-8 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Lucia Perez Repetto ◽

Emmanuelle Jasmin ◽

Eric Fombonne ◽

Erika Gisel ◽

Mélanie Couture

Keyword(s):

Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽

Assessment Tool ◽

Children With Autism ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Spectrum Disorder ◽

Sensory Profile ◽

Children With Asd ◽

Sensory Features ◽

Severity Scores ◽

The Stability

Background. Between 45 and 95% of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) present sensory features that affect their daily functioning. However, the data in the scientific literature are not conclusive regarding the evolution of sensory features in children with ASD. The main objective of this study was to analyze the sensory features of children within the age of 3-4 (T1) when they received their ASD diagnosis and two years later (T2) when they started school. Methods. We conducted a prospective cohort study to assess sensory features in 34 children with ASD over time. The data were collected using a standardized assessment tool, the Sensory Profile. Results. Our analyses show that sensory features in children with ASD are stable from the age of three to six years. The stability of sensory scores is independent of correction by covariates, such as cognitive level and autism severity scores. Conclusions. Children with ASD have sensory features that persist from the time of diagnosis at the age of 3 to 4 years to school age. This persistence of sensory features from an early age underscores the need to support these children and their parents. Sensory features should be detected early and managed to improve functional and psychosocial outcomes.

Download Full-text