Over‐Responsiveness and Greater Variability in Roughness Perception in Autism. Issue 3 (25th May 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Haigh, Sarah M.; Minshew, Nancy; Heeger, David J.; Dinstein, Ilan; Behrmann, Marlene
• Is Part Of: Autism research. Volume 9:Issue 3(2016)
• Page Start: 393
• Page End: 402
• Publication Date: 2015-05-25
• Subjects: autism -- tactile -- variability -- sensory hypersensitivity; Autism -- Periodicals; Autism -- Research -- Periodicals; 616.85882005
• DOI: 10.1002/aur.1505
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1939-3792

Abstract

Abstract : Although sensory problems, including tactile hypersensitivity and hyposensitivity (DSM‐5) are commonly associated with autism, there is a dearth of systematic and rigorous research in this domain. Here, we report findings from a psychophysical experiment that explored differences in tactile perception between individuals with autism and typically developing control participants, who, using their index finger, rated a series of surfaces on the extent of their roughness. Each surface was rated multiple times and we calculated both the average rating and the variability across trials. Relative to controls, the individuals with autism perceived the surfaces as rougher overall and exhibited greater variability in their ratings across trials. These findings characterize altered tactile perception in autism and suggest that sensory problems in autism may be the product of overly responsive and variable sensory processing. Autism Res 2016, 9: 393–402 . © 2015 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.