Revue systématique des méthodes d’évaluation du traitement sensoriel chez les enfants et adolescents autistes

Abstract

Sensory processing has been a diagnostic criterion for autism spectrum condition since the fifth version of the DSM. However, there is no consensus regarding assessment methods. This article is a systematic review of methods for assessing sensory processing in children and adolescents with autism aged between 0 and 18 years, with three objectives: (1) to identify and organize, using PRISMA, the different methods used in scientific articles for assessing sensory processing in autism; (2) to discuss their advantages and limitations by using the COSMIN checklist; (3) to suggest possible recommendations. Analysis of the 142 articles selected revealed five types of assessment method: questionnaires, psychophysical measurements, electroencephalography, neuroimaging and observation. Questionnaires were the most frequently cited clinical method, while psychophysical tests were the most represented. Each method has limitations in terms of individual utilization due to non-standardized procedures and varied investigation targets. While this systematic review makes it possible to better identify the methods used in the clinical and research fields for sensory processing specificities in children and adolescents on the spectrum, it also highlights the fact that the lack of consensus on assessments is partly due to a problem of definition of this process. Future research will need to agree on a characterization of sensory processing in order to develop a common assessment.