Sensory integration and its importance in learning for children with autism spectrum disorder

Vives-Vilarroig, Juan; Ruiz-Bernardo, Paola; García-Gómez, Andrés

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Review Article • Cad. Bras. Ter. Ocup. 30 • 2022 • https://doi.org/10.1590/2526-8910.ctoAR22662988 copy

Sensory integration and its importance in learning for children with autism spectrum disorder

Authorship SCIMAGO INSTITUTIONS RANKINGS

Abstract

Sensory integration is supported by multiple theoretical backgrounds that justify its importance in order to integrate the information coming from the different senses and to develop an adapted response to the environment. Scientific literature has also shown that there is a close relationship between sensory integration and learning. The aim of this article is to address the concept of sensory integration and its influence on learning, especially in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The methodology used was a narrative literature review, guided by the aim of the research. The databases consulted were: Web of Science, SCOPUS, Dialnet and RedaLyC. The main descriptors used were Sensory Integration, Learning and ASD. The results obtained support the idea that children with ASD often present difficulties in this sensory integration process, and that this is the explanatory cause of some of the learning and behavioural problems they present. It is hoped that this work will raise awareness of the need to consider this aspect during diagnosis and/or intervention in order to favour the genuine inclusion of children with ASD in society.

Keywords:
Processing, Sensory; Autistic Disorder; Learning Disorders

Type of receivers	Function	Are divided into
Exteroceptive	They pick up stimuli from the outside.	Distance: Sight, Hearing, Smell Contact: Taste, Touch
Interoceptive	They pick up stimuli from within us. They report the position and movements of the body.	Proprioceptive System Vestibular System

Hyposensitivity
Auditory	These children tend to make noises with their bodies or objects and shout to stimulate themselves. They slam doors open and closed. When they listen to music, they tend to do so at high volume. They tend to be very noisy when playing, and like noisy objects and noisy sequences.
Visual	They are fascinated by lights, reflections and bright colours and may even look at bright spotlights. They may run their hands around the edges of things to take in more information. They move objects or hands in front of their eyes.
Olfactory	They smell everything. They smell food before they eat. They are attracted to strong smells.
Taste	They put everything in their mouths. They eat anything. They regurgitate.
Tactile	They continually seek to touch, cuddle or caress.
Vestibular	They register vestibular stimuli poorly. They perform actions involving a lot of movement with great intensity. They turn around without getting dizzy and continually seek sensations. These children often present difficulties in postural control and in sequencing activities. They have difficulties with attention, fine motor skills and laterality, psychomotor and language delay, and academic difficulties.
Proprioceptive	Proprioceptive inputs are insufficiently registered by the brain. They often have low muscle tone and motor difficulties such as clumsiness and lack of coordination. They have poor body control and feel that their body is heavy. They constantly look for support and frequently change position.
Hypersensory
Auditory	These children are particularly disturbed by loud sounds such as thunderstorms, rockets and noises made by people. When a sound bothers them, they tend to put their hands over their ears. They often show discomfort in crowds. They perceive frequencies that are unusual for others. They make repetitive noises to avoid hearing other sounds.
Visual	They are bothered by bright lights and tend to cover their eyes. They are frightened by flashes. They tend to look down. They have very acute vision and notice things that go unnoticed by others.
Olfactory	They can repel certain odours and avoid smells.
Taste	They may be repelled by certain tastes and may vomit easily. Problems with food. They use the tip of their tongue to taste food beforehand. They tend to eat very little.
Tactile	They experience tactile stimuli very intensely, even the most gentle. They often find contact uncomfortable. They have difficulties with hyper-reactivity in activities such as dressing, showering, eating, physical contact with people or with certain materials and textures. They react badly when they do not expect contact and try to avoid bodily contact, so they are in a permanent state of alert. They show discomfort when their head is covered, their hair is cut, their teeth are brushed, or their nails are cut.
Vestibular	They perceive the stimulus with great intensity and may present two types of reaction: gravitational insecurity and intolerance to movement. In both reactions, children react with fear, even anguish, to movement, which is why they avoid games and exercises that involve movement and balance, such as swings, slides, climbing in high places. They have poor balance.
Proprioceptive	They continually seek proprioceptive inputs in order to relax and tend to adopt strange postures. They can be confused with children who generate problems or with aggressive children, as they can present self-injurious behaviour or behaviour towards others, as they do not control their strength. They are constantly on the move and have difficulties with attention and academic performance.

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E-mail: cadto@ufscar.br

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[1] Author’s Contributions

Juan Vives-Vilarroig: Revision-Editing, Supervision Administration Funds Resources (Material), Curation Analysis. Paola Ruiz-Bernardo: Revision-Editing First Draft, Supervision Administration, Resources (Material) Software, Methodology, Analysis. Andrés García-Gómez: Revision-Editing, Validation Supervision, Resources (Material) Software, Conduction, Analysis. All authors approved the final version of the text.

Hyposensoriality	There is a lack of response or insufficient response to sensory stimuli. It may affect one or more senses.
Hypersensory	There is an exaggerated response to sensory stimuli. It may affect one or more senses.
Mixed Pattern	There is a combined response.