New research suggests that most schoolchildren with autism suffer from sensory discomfort that holds them back in their schoolwork.
A study conducted by psychologists at UK-based Anglia Ruskin University found that 88 per cent of children with autism were affected at school by issues related to hearing.
Dr Steven Stagg: “Sensory issues with hearing, touch, vision and smell all distract from the focus of the classroom”
In addition, 75 per cent were affected by issues related to touch, 50 per cent by vision and 38 per cent by smell. All of the participants reported difficulties with at least one sense.
It has previously been shown that people with an autistic spectrum condition (ASC) often have difficulty processing senses. The academics in this new study wanted to discover how it affected children with ASC at school.
The psychologists found that the sensory problems not only impacted on the children’s learning, but also affected their emotional state. They commonly reported feelings of discomfort and anxiety.
Problems ranged from an inability to concentrate in a classroom due to noise, to anxiety caused by walking along corridors full of people pushing into each other.
Dr Steven Stagg, a senior lecturer in psychology at Anglia Ruskin and the report’s co-author, said: “Sensory issues with hearing, touch, vision and smell all distract from the focus of the classroom.”
Sensory input ‘affects their ability to learn’
He added: “Some participants reported problems in all four senses, and this significantly increases the amount of sensory input that is preventing them from concentrating and therefore affects their ability to learn.
“School is a significant part of a child’s life and research should continue to explore how sensory difficulties impact a child with ASC’s experiences there.
“Increased understanding can lead to more appropriate interventions to help children with ASC access the same level of education and schooling experience as neurotypical children.”
The study was conducted at three schools in the East of England and was published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.
Published: 18 February 2016
