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Revised scored Sensory Perception Quotient reveals sensory hypersensitivity in women with autism

Published version
Peer-reviewed

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Authors

Taylor, Emily 
Holt, Rosemary 
Tavassoli, Teresa 
Baron-Cohen, Simon 

Abstract

Abstract: Background: Previous research using the Sensory Perception Quotient (SPQ) has reported greater sensory hypersensitivity in people with autism spectrum condition (ASC) compared to controls, consistent with other research. However, current scoring of the SPQ does not differentiate between hyper and hyposensitivity, making it uncertain whether individuals with ASC might also show differences in hyposensitivity. Furthermore, no research to date has focused on sensory differences in females, and whether differences in sensory sensitivity extend to the broader autism phenotype (BAP). The present study aimed to fill these gaps. Methods: The present study developed and validated a Revised Scoring of the Sensory Perception Quotient (SPQ-RS) in order to investigate self-reported hypersensitivity and hyposensitivity in three groups of adults: a female ASC group (n = 152), mothers of children with ASC (BAP mothers group; n = 103), and a control mothers group (n = 74). All participants completed the SPQ as a self-report measure of sensory processing and the Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ) as a measure of the degree of autism traits. Results: The female ASC group reported significantly more hypersensitivity, but not more hyposensitivity, compared to the control female and BAP mothers groups. The BAP mothers group did not differ from the control mothers group in either reported hypersensitivity (p = .365) or hyposensitivity (p = .075), suggesting atypical sensory sensitivity is not a BAP trait within females. SPQ-RS hypersensitivity scores positively correlated with autistic traits in the female ASC (r = .266) and BAP mothers groups (r = .350). Conclusions: The present findings revealed greater sensory hypersensitivity, but not hyposensitivity, in females with ASC compared to BAP and control female groups, and that a greater degree of autism traits relates to higher hypersensitivity in ASC females. The results offer support for the enhanced perceptual functioning model using large samples of females, who are an understudied population, and demonstrate the validity of the SPQ-RS as a valuable new research tool for exploring self-reported hypersensitivity and hyposensitivity.

Description

Funder: Autism Research Trust


Funder: Autism Speaks; doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/100000073


Funder: European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations


Funder: National Institute for Health Research; doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000272


Funder: Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care

Keywords

Research, Autism spectrum conditions, Sensory, Sensory Perception Quotient, Hypersensitivity, Broader autism phenotype, females

Journal Title

Molecular Autism

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

2040-2392

Volume Title

11

Publisher

BioMed Central
Sponsorship
European Union's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013)