Sensory Reactivity Through the Lived Experiences of Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: An Exploratory Phenomenological Qualitative Study

Abstract

Background: The current sensory assessment measures for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have issues related to cultural and clinical applicability, which makes them difficult to apply in the Indian context consistently. The current study aimed to explore locally relevant themes for sensory reactivity in children with ASD. Methods: This exploratory phenomenological qualitative study was carried out on 15 parents of children with ASD visiting the child guidance clinic. An in-depth interview (IDI) guide was prepared on the conceptual framework based on Dunn, as well as, Miller’s models, which was then further refined based upon the inputs from the experts (psychiatrists, child psychologists, speech-language pathologists, and occupational therapists) working with children with ASD. IDIs were conducted with parents of children with ASD. The data was recorded in audio and video format. It was transcribed and translated from Hindi to English. Coding was done manually, and themes were extracted. Results: The findings identified four superordinate themes: sensory hyperreactivity, sensory hyporeactivity, sensory seeking, and socio-emotional response. Conclusion: The lived experience of parents aids in identifying and describing dimensions of sensory reactivity in children with ASD. It will help further in developing a valid and reliable instrument for the assessment of sensory reactivity in children with ASD.