Sensory Processing and Visual Motor Integration of Children with Autism

Research Objectives: To investigate the visual motor integration performance and sensory processing of preschool aged children with autism spectrum disorder.

Design: Multiple linear regression was employed. Retrospective data on preschool aged children with autism who received six months of occupational therapy was collected from an outpatient clinic in Florida. Three research questions were analyzed using data from 36 children (32 males, 4 females) who met the inclusion criteria.

Setting: Data was retrieved from an outpatient rehabilitation clinic in Florida.

Participants: A non-probability purposive sampling strategy was employed for the study. Patient charts of children aged two to five years of age with diagnoses of ASD were reviewed. The data reviewed spanned from June 1, 2017 to March 13, 2020. Patient charts with pre and six-month-post SSP and Beery VMI scores who attended at least one therapy treatment session were included in the study.

Interventions: Children with ASD who attended at least one outpatient occupational therapy treatment session were included in the study. Pre SSP, post SSP, pre Beery VMI scores, and post Beery VMI scores were recorded with relevant demographic information (e.g., age and gender) based on attendance and participation in occupational evaluations.

Main Outcome Measures: Beery-Buktenica Developmental Test of Visual Motor Integration and the Short Sensory Profile 2 were utilized for pre and post scores.

Results: There was a statistically significant improvement in visual motor scores, with pre scores being highly predictive of post scores. There was no significant difference between pre and post sensory scores and they were not predictive of Visual Motor scores.

Conclusions: The findings showed significant improvements in VMI and non-significant improvements in SSP. The final predictive model for VMI can be utilized by clinicians to create realistic goals for therapy. Additionally, these findings suggest that VMI may improve regardless of a child’s sensory processing difficulties.

Author(s) Disclosures: The authors declare no affiliations with or involvement in any organization or entity with any financial interest or non-financial interest in the subject matter or materials discussed in the information being presented.