The relationship between sensory responsiveness and the development of initiating joint attention in toddlers with autism spectrum disorder

Abstract

Objective To evaluate the impact of atypical sensory response patterns on the development of initiating joint attention （IJA） abilities in toddlers， further exploring the early developmental mechanisms of autism spectrum disorder （ASD）. Methods Forty infants at 12 months of age were followed up and divided into three groups at 24 months of age： ASD， developmental differences （D/D）， and typical development （TD） groups. The Toddler Sensory Profile Second Edition （TSP-2） was used to assess the degree of atypical sensory response patterns. Interactive videos were coded to evaluate IJA abilities. Linear regression analysis was employed to assess the relationship between sensory responsiveness and IJA abilities. Results The sensory seeking and registration scores at 12 months of age and the sensory seeking score at 24 months of age in ASD toddlers were negatively correlated with IJA frequency （rs = -0.735， P = 0.015； rs = -0.635， P = 0.048； rs = -0.680， P = 0.030）， while the sensory sensitivity and avoiding scores at 12 months were positively correlated with the development of IJA frequency（rp= 0.674， P = 0.047； rp= 0.818， P = 0.007）. Conclusions Higher levels of sensory seeking and registration in ASD toddlers will affect their current IJA abilities. However， higher levels of sensory sensitivity and avoiding predict a better developmental trend in IJA abilities.

Keywords

• autism spectrum disorder|joint attention|sensory responsiveness|prospective|longitudinal study