scholarly journals Neurodiversity Sensory Audit Guidelines: Creating Sensory Accessible Spaces

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tycho Vandenburg
Keyword(s):  
Sensory Sensitivities

This free sensory audit resource has been designed to help people and/or organisations assess and create an environment that is friendly to those with sensory sensitivities, such as people with autism.

scholarly journals The identification of sensory processing difficulties of learners experiencing

2011 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Petronella Susanna De Jager
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Sensory Processing ◽  
School Environment ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Learning And Development ◽  
Sensory Sensitivities ◽  
Independent Case ◽  
Mainstream School ◽  
Making Friends ◽  
And Coping

The purpose of this study is to explore the sensory processing difficulties of Grade Rlearners that are diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome (AS) in two schools in SouthAfrica. Attwood (2007, p. 271) considers sensory sensitivities to have a greater impacton the lives of these individuals, than problems with making friends, managingemotions and coping academically. This research approach was purely qualitative;it used interviews and observations. The sample consists of two independent case studies composed of learners aged between five and seven who had been clinically diagnosed with AS. The results confirmed sensory processing difficulties, andillustrated how these difficulties impacted on the general learning and development of learners diagnosed with AS. Although they were both bright learners, they wereperceived as underachievers. By identifying these sensory difficulties and creating awareness among educators, it is possible to debunk misconceptions people have of the adaptability of these learners to a mainstream school environment.

scholarly journals The Dutch Sensory Perception Quotient-Short in adults with and without autism

Autism ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (8) ◽  
pp. 2071-2080
Author(s):  
Ricarda F Weiland ◽  
Tinca JC Polderman ◽  
Rosa A Hoekstra ◽  
Dirk JA Smit ◽  
Sander Begeer
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Sensory Perception ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Short Version ◽  
English Version ◽  
Adults With Autism ◽  
Original English Version ◽  
Sensory Sensitivities ◽  
Dutch Translation

Sensory symptoms were recently added to the diagnostic criteria of autism spectrum disorder and may be a mechanism underlying the broad phenotype of autism spectrum disorder. To measure sensory symptoms based on perceptual rather than affective, regulative, or attention components, the Sensory Perception Quotient (SPQ) measuring five modalities of sensory sensitivity has been developed. In this study, the Dutch translation of the abridged SPQ-Short was investigated in a large sample of adults with ( n = 657) and without autism spectrum disorder ( n = 585). Its hypothesized factor structure, combining modality specific and one modality-independent factor, was assessed in a hierarchical model. Results show that modality-specific subscales are indeed present in the short version. Furthermore, its reliability is high and comparable to the original English version. The autism spectrum disorder group reported higher sensory sensitivities than the comparison group, and women with autism spectrum disorder reported higher sensitivities compared with men with autism spectrum disorder. The SPQ-Short correlates with all Autism Quotient (AQ)-Short subscales, except for the “imagination” subscale. The SPQ-Short seems suitable to further explore the relationship between basic sensory sensitivities in autism spectrum disorder and their related symptoms such as over- and under-responsivity to sensory stimulation. Lay Abstract Individuals on the autism spectrum often experience heightened or reduced sensory sensitivities. This feature was recently added to the diagnostic manual for autism ( Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th ed. (DSM-5)). To measure sensory sensitivities, the Sensory Perception Quotient (SPQ) has been developed. In this study, we tested whether a Dutch translation of the abridged SPQ-Short yields similar results as the original English version. We also tested whether this questionnaire can measure modality specific sensitivities. To this end, 657 adults with autism spectrum disorder and 585 adults without an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis filled out the Dutch SPQ-Short. The Dutch questionnaire data were very similar to the original English version: adults with autism spectrum disorder were more sensitive compared with adults without autism spectrum disorder. Women with autism spectrum disorder are more sensitive compared with men with autism spectrum disorder. Gender did not have an effect in the group without autism spectrum disorder. Individuals reporting higher sensory sensitivities also reported more autistic traits (such as lower social interests, or increased fascination for patterns). Finally, we found that the Dutch SPQ-Short is suited to measure modality-specific sensitivities. We conclude that the Dutch translation is a viable tool to measure sensory sensitivities in adults with and without autism spectrum disorder and can be used to further our understanding of differences in perception in people with or without autism spectrum disorder.

scholarly journals Sleep disturbances are associated with specific sensory sensitivities in children with autism

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Orna Tzischinsky ◽  
Gal Meiri ◽  
Liora Manelis ◽  
Asif Bar-Sinai ◽  
Hagit Flusser ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sleep Disturbances ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Sensory Sensitivities

scholarly journals The Anxiety Caused by Secondary Schools for Autistic Adolescents: In Their Own Words

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 726
Author(s):  
Debra Costley ◽  
Anne Emerson ◽  
Danielle Ropar ◽  
Elizabeth Sheppard
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Secondary Schools ◽  
Social Communication ◽  
Daily Basis ◽  
School Experience ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Sensory Sensitivities ◽  
Inclusive Settings ◽  
Theoretical View ◽  
The Uk

Secondary schools are increasingly becoming inclusive of all students whatever their individual needs, but we question whether teachers understand enough about specific needs in order to effectively support all their students. Research indicates that autistic students often struggle with aspects of school (conformity; social communication; sensory challenges; bullying) but very few studies ask autistic adolescents about their experiences. One of the key elements of the school experience for autistic adolescents is the levels of anxiety experienced by many students on a daily basis. This research set out to explore the extent to which autistic students in secondary schools in the UK were able to recognise and reflect on their own anxiety. The eighteen participants in this co-produced qualitative study took part in semi-structured interviews planned by a team of autistic and non-autistic researchers. The themes that emerged from this study, in terms of triggers for anxiety, included other people’s behaviour, fear of the unknown, and sensory sensitivities. A theoretical view of their difficulties concurs with the concept of intolerance of uncertainty. Our data suggest that autistic students continue to experience high levels of anxiety throughout their secondary education, despite supports put in place by some schools. Strategies are highlighted that could be implemented by all schools to promote truly inclusive settings.

scholarly journals A Systematic Comparison of Perceptual Performance in Softness Discrimination with Different Fingers

2020 ◽  
Vol 82 (7) ◽  
pp. 3696-3709
Author(s):  
Aaron C. Zoeller ◽  
Knut Drewing
Keyword(s):  
Ring Finger ◽  
Middle Finger ◽  
Dominant Hand ◽  
Sensory Sensitivities ◽  
Motor Abilities ◽  
Soft Objects ◽  
Perceptual Performance ◽  
Improved Performance ◽  
Spontaneous Exploration ◽  
Little Finger

Abstract In studies investigating haptic softness perception, participants are typically instructed to explore soft objects by indenting them with their index finger. In contrast, performance with other fingers has rarely been investigated. We wondered which fingers are used in spontaneous exploration and if performance differences between fingers can explain spontaneous usage. In Experiment 1 participants discriminated the softness of two rubber stimuli with hardly any constraints on finger movements. Results indicate that humans use successive phases of different fingers and finger combinations during an exploration, preferring index, middle, and (to a lesser extent) ring finger. In Experiment 2 we compared discrimination thresholds between conditions, with participants using one of the four fingers of the dominant hand. Participants compared the softness of rubber stimuli in a two-interval forced choice discrimination task. Performance with index and middle finger was better as compared to ring and little finger, the little finger was the worst. In Experiment 3 we again compared discrimination thresholds, but participants were told to use constant peak force. Performance with the little finger was worst, whereas performance for the other fingers did not differ. We conclude that in spontaneous exploration the preference of combinations of index, middle, and partly ring finger seems to be well chosen, as indicated by improved performance with the spontaneously used fingers. Better performance seems to be based on both different motor abilities to produce force, mainly linked to using index and middle finger, and different sensory sensitivities, mainly linked to avoiding the little finger.

scholarly journals P056 Using Polysomnography in Young People with Borderline Personality Disorder: A Pilot and Feasibility Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. A39-A39
Author(s):  
C Jenkins ◽  
K Thompson ◽  
A Chanen ◽  
C Nicholas
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Nrem Sleep ◽  
Borderline Personality ◽  
Sleep Laboratory ◽  
Living Situation ◽  
Sensory Sensitivities ◽  
Participant Preferences ◽  
Healthy Young People ◽  
Sleep Parameters ◽  
At Home

Abstract Introduction Few studies have assessed sleep in young people (aged 15–25 years) with BPD using polysomnography. The feasibility of using polysomnography in this population might be questioned due to polysomnography’s invasiveness, anxiety and sensory sensitivities in BPD, and misconceptions that individuals with BPD are uncooperative and non-compliant. This study aimed to provide pilot sleep quality and architecture data and assess polysomnography feasibility. Method Participants were 13 females aged 15–25, 7 (Mage = 19.97, SD = 3.15) with BPD and 6 age-matched healthy controls (Mage = 20.13, SD = 3.31). Participants completed two non-consecutive nights of polysomnography monitoring (second night’s data were used in analyses). Participants were given the option of completing polysomnography monitoring at home or in a sleep laboratory. Results Young people with BPD displayed less arousals across the night and specifically during NREM sleep compared with healthy young people. All other sleep parameters were comparable across groups. There was considerable heterogeneity among participant preferences for in-home vs. sleep laboratory-based monitoring, due to comfort, safety, convenience, interest in seeing a sleep laboratory, or their living situation (eg. presence of bed partner at home). Anxiety was identified as a potential barrier to polysomnography research in this population. Discussion There were some indications of more consolidated sleep in BPD, which might reflect a greater sleep need in this population. The feasibility and tolerability of in-home and sleep laboratory-based polysomnography were demonstrated. Future protocols should incorporate ways to minimise anxiety, for example through providing a choice of monitoring location.

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