Title: Disentangling the Relationship between Sensory Processing, Alexithymia, and Broad Autism Spectrum: A Study in Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Sensory Processing Disorder
Abstract: Background: Autistic features and sensory processing difficulties and their phenotypic co-expression with alexithymia share genetic susceptibility. In this work, we explored if the current concept of broad autism phenotype rather translates altered sensory processing (non-specific to autism), meaning that the characteristics of altered sensory processing should be similarly overexpressed among individuals with genetic susceptibility to sensory processing disorder (SPD) and individuals with genetic susceptibility to autism spectrum disorders (ASD). In addition, the study evaluated the association between altered sensory processing and alexithymia.Method: The Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile, Autism Spectrum Quotient, and Toronto Alexithymia Scale were completed by 31 parents of children with ASD, 32 parents of children with SPD, and 52 parents of typically developed (TD) children.Results: Extreme sensory patterns were equally prevalent among parents of children with SPD and parents of children with ASD (and significantly more prevalent than in parents of TD children). In addition, extreme sensory patterns were significantly associated with alexithymia scores. Specifically, sensory avoidance, low registration, and sensory sensitivity were positively correlated with alexithymia. No significant differences were found regarding the prevalence of autistic traits and alexithymia between ASD and SPD groups of parents.Conclusions: These results challenge the specificity of broad autism phenotype and suggest a neurodevelopmental atypicity with roots in altered sensory and emotional processing.
Publication Year: 2023
Publication Date: 2023-01-01
Language: en
Type: preprint
Indexed In: ['crossref']
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