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- Title
Sensory Integration as a Treatment for Automatically Maintained Stereotypy.
- Authors
Moore, Keira M.; Cividini‐Motta, Catia; Clark, Kathy M.; Ahearn, William H.
- Abstract
According to sensory integration (SI) theory, many symptoms of autism are caused by an inability to integrate and adaptively respond to sensory input. Despite little evidence supporting SI, this form of therapy is a popular treatment for children with autism. Should these treatments work, they should be most effective for behavior maintained by sensory consequences (automatically maintained). SI activities may make these sensory consequences less reinforcing. The purpose of this study was to determine whether SI treatments could reduce automatically-maintained stereotypy. Five individuals with autism participated. An occupational therapist prescribed sensory activities that competed with stereotypy for SI treatments. Two types of SI treatments were tested: sensory diets and brushing with deep-pressure therapy. The effect of these treatments on stereotypy was evaluated in an ABAB design. Neither the sensory diet alone, brushing and deep pressure alone, nor both treatments combined were effective interventions for stereotypy. These results do not support the use of SI as a treatment for stereotypy. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
- Subjects
COMPULSIVE behavior; ALTERNATIVE medicine; AUTISM in children; BEHAVIOR modification; SCIENTIFIC observation; SENSORIMOTOR integration; SENSORY stimulation; VIDEO recording; TREATMENT effectiveness; THERAPEUTICS
- Publication
Behavioral Interventions, 2015, Vol 30, Issue 2, p95
- ISSN
1072-0847
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1002/bin.1405