Sensory Integration Therapy in a Sample of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Sensory Integration Therapy in a Sample of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder; an Outcome Study

The objective of this study is to determine the effects of therapy in sensory rooms with multisensory environment on the severity of autism spectrum disorder and stereotyped and repetitive behaviours in a sample of Egyptian children with autism spectrum disorder

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Children; Autism Spectrum Disorder; Therapy
• Intervention / Treatment: Procedure: Sensory integration therapy

Detailed Description

Autism Spectrum Disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in social interactions, social communication and stereotyped behaviours associated with sensory disorders occurring before the age of 3.

According to DSM-5, sensory processing disorders include hyper-reactivity to sensory stimuli which is an adverse response to sensory stimuli (specific sounds or textures, excessive smells), hypo-reactivity as an apparent indifference to sensory stimuli (pain or temperature-hot/cold) and sensory seeking as a strong desire for sensory intake (touching of objects, visual fascination with lights and movements) or unusual sensory interests in the environment.] Multisensory interactions in spatial processing are investigated with functional neuroimaging and electrophysiological recordings. Using fMRI, researchers identified candidate multisensory areas by looking for regions of cortex that are activated by visual and tactile stimuli, showing that multisensory processing in the human brain involves the multisensory areas of ''association'' cortex as well as the modality-specific areas of cortex that are specialized for the processing of stimulus features such as colour, shape and texture.

Ayres Sensory Integration therapy (ASI) is an individualized intervention designed to address the specific underlying sensory-motor issues that may be affecting children's performance during daily routines and activities, including participation within the classroom and in other contexts of the school.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 30
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Egypt
  • Cairo, Egypt, 11591
    • Ain Shams University

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Child
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• All patients included in the study are diagnosed with Autism spectrum disorder according to DSM-V criteria.
• Participants have to have a sensory problem in their diagnostic criteria.
• Age ranges between 3-10 years. (as scope of the study is focused on children)
• Both males and females.
• Parents or guardian agreed to informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Parents refusing to participate in the research
• Children with comorbid psychiatric and/or neurological disorder
• Children with co-morbid sensory deficit, hearing , vision, and motor deficit
• Intelligence quotient level below 60
• Children who scored typical performance in the sensory profile care-giver questionnaire

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Sensory integration therapy; Autistic patients will undergo sensory integration therapy	Procedure: Sensory integration therapy; Autistic patients will undergo sensory integration therapy

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Effect of sensory integration therapy	Effect of sensory integration therapy on autism spectrum disorder symptoms and signs and severity. The sessions are held weekly for 12 weeks, lasting half an hour, and the measurement is done before and after them, taking an hour. The sensory integration program lasts 12 weeks with 12 sessions, each 30 minutes. Participants must attend at least 9 sessions. Afterward, they will be reassessed using CARS and the Sensory Profile Caregiver questionnaire. The sensory room provides multisensory stimulation through tools like projectors, fibre optics, and auditory devices.	12 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Ain Shams University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): May 1, 2023
• Primary Completion (Actual): March 28, 2025
• Study Completion (Actual): March 28, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: February 27, 2025
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 17, 2025
• First Posted (Actual): March 18, 2025

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): May 22, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 21, 2025
• Last Verified: May 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Neurodevelopmental Disorders; Autism Spectrum Disorder; Autistic Disorder; Child Development Disorders, Pervasive
• Other Study ID Numbers: FMASU MD71/2023

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: YES
• IPD Plan Description: The data will be available upon a reasonable request from the corresponding author after the end of study for one year.
• IPD Sharing Time Frame: After the end of study for one year.
• IPD Sharing Access Criteria: The data will be available upon a reasonable request from the corresponding author after the end of study for one year.
• IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type: STUDY_PROTOCOL

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No