Abstract
BACKGROUND: While autism is known to be a life-long neurodevelopmental disorder present from birth, it can appear as primarily a behavioral condition to those who are less familiar with neurodevelopment. These observable behaviors are often driven by unseen sensory processing difficulties; while not every child diagnosed with ASD will have difficulties with sensory processing, they are extremely common within this population (Crabtree & Demchick, 2018; Schaff et al., 2012).
AIM: This critically appraised topic (CAT) is aimed at determining the effectiveness of sensory-based interventions and sensory integration therapy (SIT) on increasing engagement in school-aged children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
METHODS: Level I randomized control studies were analyzed and included in the CAT if they were published in the last 10 years, included sensory-based interventions or sensory integration therapy, included outcomes related to student engagement, included participants that were school-aged including those enrolled in preschool, and studies focused on participants with a clinical diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder.
RESULTS: Level I research completed on sensory-based interventions and sensory integration therapy (SIT) has revealed strong, positive evidence regarding the effectiveness of SIT on increasing functional performance and positive engagement in school-aged children diagnosed with ASD.