Association between sensory processing disorder and daily function of children with attention deficit/hyperactive disorder and controls

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Objective: The aim of the present study was to find whether the prevalence of Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) symptoms is similar among children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and typical controls, and whether SPD symptoms affect daily function among children with ADHD. Methods: 77 children, aged 8–11 years (37 children with ADHD and 39 typical controls) were recruited. The Conner's Parent Rating Scale–Revised: Short Form (CPRS–R:S) was used to profile ADHD symptoms. The Short Sensory Profile (SSP) was used to measure sensory processing abilities. The Children Activity Scale for Parents (ChAS-P) was used to evaluate children’s difficulties in daily function. Results: The SSP total score of the ADHD group (142.13 ± 25.98) was significantly lower than that of the control group (180.08 ± 11.68; t = −8.23). In the ADHD group, 65.8% of children had an abnormal SSP score indicating SPD, compared to only 2.6% in the control group (χ2 = 34.40, p < .001). The daily function of children with ADHD was significantly lower than in typical controls (ChAS-p mean 3.95±0.68; and 4.78, ±.36 in the ADHD and control groups, respectively) (t(75) = −6.71, p < .001). The largest differences were found in the category of activities involving executive functions (3.7 ± .79; and 4.76 ± .44). Children with ADHD and abnormal SSP scores, had a significantly lower daily functional ability than controls (p < .001). In contrast, children with ADHD but normal SSP had only marginally lower daily functional abilities than controls (p = .128). Overall, males had lower mean ChAS-P scores than females, however the differences were statistically-significant only among the children with ADHD. An abnormal SSP score was a weightier factor in the ChAS-P performance for males than females. Conclusion: The present study supports the importance of SPD as a possible specifier of ADHD in children that correlates with functional consequences.