Sensory Problems in Turkish Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Abstract

Background: Sensory problems are a core symptom of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and tailoring the interventions according to sensory profiles yields better prognosis. Objective: This study profiled the sensory symptoms of children with ASD and their sociodemographic and behavioral correlates. Material and Methods: The sample included 911 Turkish children with ASD (748 male and 163 female) aged between 1-18 years. The study was conducted as an internet survey. Results: Almost all children had a sensory problem in at least one sensory domain. The parents stated that almost half of the children received sensory integration therapy (SIT) and that 3 out of 4 of these children benefited from this method. The rate of receiving SIT for their children with ASD was higher in children of mothers and fathers who had higher education levels. Two out of 3 parents reported that their children have hyperactivity, sleep problems, and food selectivity. Obsessive behaviors were 2 times higher in children with ASD who took non-food objects in their mouths, and almost 7 times more common in children who watched rotating objects. The rates of spinning around themselves, taking nonfood objects in their mouths, and hyperactivity were significantly higher in children who experienced sleep-related problems. Conclusion: This study documents the sensory problems of Turkish children with ASD and how they relate with other behavioral domains, which can be useful for determining the most appropriate therapeutic approaches.

Keywords

• Autism spectrum disorder
• Senosry Integration
• Sensory Problems
• Sensory Processing Disorder
• Turkish Children

Otizmli Türk Çocuklarının Duyusal Problemleri

Abstract

Amaç: Duyusal sorunlar, otizm spektrum bozukluğu (OSB)’na sıklıkla eşlik etmektedir. OSB’ye yönelik müdahaleleri bireylerin duyusal profillerine göre adapte etmek daha iyi bir prognoz sağlayabilir. Bu çalışma, OSB’li çocukların duyusal semptomlarını ve bu semptomların onların sosyodemografik ve davranışsal özellikleri ile ilişkilerini incelemiştir. Gereç ve Yöntem: Örnekleme, 1-18 yaşları arasındaki 911 Türk OSB’li (748 erkek ve 163 kız) çocuk dahil edilmiştir. Çalışma, bir internet araştırması olarak gerçekleştirilmiştir. Bulgular: Dahil edilen çocukların neredeyse tamamının en az bir duyusal alanda problem yaşadığı, ebeveynleri tarafından bildirilmiştir. Ebeveynlerin yarısı, çocuklarının duyusal bütünleme terapisi (DBT) aldığını ve alan çocukların 4’te 3’ünün bu yöntemden yararlandığını belirtmiştir. DBT alma oranının, yüksek eğitim düzeyine sahip annelerin ve babaların çocuklarında daha yüksek olduğu görülmüştür. Her 3 ebeveynden 2’si çocuklarında hiperaktivite, uyku sorunu ve gıda seçiciliği durumlarının görüldüğünü bildirmiştir. Ayrıca, obsesif davranışların, ağızlarında yiyecek olmayan cisimleri alan OSB’li çocuklarda 2 kat, dönen cisimleri izleyen çocuklarda ise yaklaşık 7 kat daha fazla görüldüğü belirlenmiştir. Uykuya bağlı problemler yaşayan çocuklarda, kendi etrafında dönme, ağızlarında yiyecek olmayan nesneler alma ve hiperaktivite oranları anlamlı derecede yüksek bulunmuştur. Sonuç: Bu çalışma, OSB’li Türk çocuklarının duyusal sorunlarını ve bu sorunların diğer davranışsal alanlarla ilişkilerini göstermektedir. Böylece, OSB’li bireyler için en uygun terapötik yaklaşımlara yönlendirmelerini sağlamakta fayda sağlayabileceği düşünülmektedir..

Keywords

• Otizm spektrum bozukluğu
• Duyusal Bütünleme
• Duyusal Problemler
• Duyusal İşlemleme Bozukluğu
• Türk Çocukları

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