Sensory Experiences in Children with Autism

项目摘要（摘要） 据报道，69%的自闭症儿童有不寻常的感官体验，这些特征被认为是 对发育、适应行为和家庭功能有负面影响。这样做的目的 项目是解释发展过程中，功能的影响，和发病机制的感觉功能， 对早期发现和干预的影响。该项目将研究三种常见的感官 反应模式：低反应、高反应和感觉寻求。目的是：1）确定 孤独症和DD儿童感觉特征的纵向变化; 2）测量感觉特征如何 影响儿童的适应行为（日常生活，功能性沟通/社交技能， 参与家庭/社群活动）、适应不良行为（刻板特征、社会情感 问题）和家庭功能（父母压力）;和3）隔离特定的神经认知和背景风险 与可观察到的感官问题相关的因素。4项相关研究（共n = 210）将 实现这些目标。研究1（前瞻性纵向设计）使用现有队列检查 从学龄前（2 - 6岁）到学龄期（6 - 12岁）的感觉特征期间，以及 这些特征对儿童/家庭的影响。研究2采用回顾性视频分析来识别 自闭症儿童在婴儿期（9 - 18个月）的感觉特征，将其与对照组区分开来， 预测学龄前/学龄期发展结果。研究3使用了实验室测量的组合， 父母和语言儿童的个人账户，以及家庭行为观察，以确定 环境背景引发不寻常的感官特征及其对日常生活中家庭功能的影响。 研究4使用电生理学（ERP）来测试神经认知机制（感觉检测，辨别， 无意识定向），其被预测为特定感觉表型的基础。在一个子组中， 儿童，来自4个发育时间点（婴儿早期、婴儿后期、学前和学校）的聚合数据 年）将确保使用混合方法研究自闭症感觉特征的变化轨迹。我们 研究结果可能对理解大脑与行为的联系、异常的早期风险标志物具有影响 感觉特征及其发展过程，以及可能改善儿童和 家庭功能。[这些目标与NIH自闭症研究矩阵优先事项#16，19，22，23和26一致。项目叙述 相关性 虽然感官问题，如对声音、触觉和视觉刺激的反应不足/过度非常常见， 在患有自闭症和其他发育障碍的儿童中，很少有研究确定这些特征是如何形成的。 随着时间的推移而变化，是什么导致它们发生，以及它们对孩子的负面影响有多大。 发展，父母的福祉和社会参与。因为我们对感官知之甚少 自闭症的特点，家庭容易受到无数无效的基于感觉的治疗， 解决这些问题。这项研究的结果将解决文献中的上述局限性， 对理解潜在的大脑行为联系，异常感觉神经系统疾病的早期风险标志， 特征及其发展过程，以及旨在改善儿童和家庭的新干预策略 功能

Project Summary (Abstract) Unusual sensory experiences are reported in 69% of children with autism and these features are thought to have negative consequences on development, adaptive behavior, and family functioning. The purpose of this project is to explain the developmental course, functional impact, and pathogenesis of sensory features with implications for early detection and intervention. The project will study three commonly observed sensory response patterns: hyporesponsive, hyperresponsive, and sensory seeking. The aims are to: 1) determine longitudinal changes in sensory features in children with autism and DD; 2) measure how sensory features impact children's adaptive behaviors (daily living, functional communication/social skills, and level of participation in home/community activities), maladaptive behaviors (stereotyped features, social-emotional problems), and family functioning (parental strain); and 3) isolate specific neurocognitive and contextual risk factors that are associated with the observable sensory problems. Four interrelated studies (total n=210) will address these aims. Study 1 (prospective longitudinal design) uses an existing cohort to examine stability of sensory features from the preschool (2-6 yrs) to the school-age (6-12 yrs.) period, and the functional impact of these features on child/ family outcomes. Study 2 employs retrospective video analysis to identify precursors of sensory features in children with autism during infancy (9-18 months), differentiate these from controls, and predict to preschool/school-age developmental outcomes. Study 3 uses a combination of lab measures, personal accounts of parents and verbal children, and in-home behavioral observations to determine the environmental contexts that elicit unusual sensory features and their impact on family functioning in daily life. Study 4 uses electrophysiology (ERP) to test neurocognitive mechanisms (sensory detection, discrimination, involuntary orienting) that are predicted to underlie specific sensory phenotypes. Thus, in a subgroup of children, convergent data from 4 developmental time points (early infancy, later infancy, preschool and school years) will be secured to study change trajectories in sensory features in autism using mixed methods. Our findings may have implications for understanding brain-behavior linkages, early risk markers of unusual sensory features and their developmental course, and novel intervention strategies that may improve child and family functioning. [These aims are consistent with NIH Autism Research Matrix priorities #16, 19, 22, 23 & 26.] Project Narrative Relevance Although sensory problems such as under/over-reactions to sounds, touch, and visual stimuli are very common in children with autism and other developmental disorders, there is little research defining how these features change over time, what causes them to occur, and how much they negatively impact upon a child's development, the parent's well-being, and social participation. Because so little is known about sensory features in autism, families are vulnerable to myriad non-efficacious sensory-based treatments that purport cures for these issues. Findings from this study will address the above limitations in the literature and may have implications for understanding potential brain-behavior linkages, early risk markers of unusual sensory features and their developmental course, and novel intervention strategies aimed at improving child and family functioning.