Linking Anxiety and Insistence on Sameness in Autistic Children: The Role of Sensory Hypersensitivity

Karen R Black; Ryan A Stevenson; Magali Segers; Busiswe L Ncube; Sol Z Sun; Aviva Philipp-Muller; James M Bebko; Morgan D Barense; Susanne Ferber

doi:10.1007/s10803-017-3161-x

Linking Anxiety and Insistence on Sameness in Autistic Children: The Role of Sensory Hypersensitivity

J Autism Dev Disord. 2017 Aug;47(8):2459-2470. doi: 10.1007/s10803-017-3161-x.

Authors

Karen R Black^{1

2}, Ryan A Stevenson^{3

4

5

6

7}, Magali Segers², Busiswe L Ncube², Sol Z Sun¹, Aviva Philipp-Muller¹, James M Bebko², Morgan D Barense^{1

8}, Susanne Ferber^{1

8}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
² Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada.
³ Department of Psychology, Western University, London, ON, Canada. [email protected].
⁴ Brain and Mind Institute, Western University, London, ON, Canada. [email protected].
⁵ Neuroscience Program, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, Canada. [email protected].
⁶ Department of Psychiatry, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, Canada. [email protected].
⁷ Westminster Hall, University of Western Ontario, 361 Windermere Road, London, ON, N6G 2K3, Canada. [email protected].
⁸ Rotman Research Institute at Baycrest, Toronto, ON, Canada.

PMID: 28540453
DOI: 10.1007/s10803-017-3161-x

Abstract

Sensory hypersensitivity and insistence on sameness (I/S) are common, co-occurring features of autism, yet the relationship between them is poorly understood. This study assessed the impact of sensory hypersensitivity on the clinical symptoms of specific phobia, separation anxiety, social anxiety and I/S for autistic and typically developing (TD) children. Parents of 79 children completed questionnaires on their child's difficulties related to sensory processing, I/S, and anxiety. Results demonstrated that sensory hypersensitivity mediated 67% of the relationship between symptoms of specific phobia and I/S and 57% of the relationship between separation anxiety and I/S. No relationship was observed between sensory hypersensitivity and social anxiety. These mediation effects of sensory hypersensitivity were found only in autistic children, not in TD children.

Keywords: Anxiety; Autism spectrum disorder; Hypersensitivity; Insistence on sameness; Sensory processing.

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Autistic Disorder / physiopathology*
Autistic Disorder / psychology
Child
Child Development
Female
Humans
Male
Phobic Disorders / physiopathology*
Phobic Disorders / psychology
Sensation*

Grants and funding

106436/CIHR/Canada