[PDF] Sensory integration therapy for autism spectrum disorders: A systematic review | Semantic Scholar (2024)

Based on CEC criteria, ASI can be considered an evidence‐based practice for children with autism ages 4–12 years old.

Regardless of the methodological limitations in some interventional studies, ASI interventions were still believed to support students with ASD at school effectively and students can benefit from environmental modifications, but more research is still needed.

Although AAI studies reported either positive or mixed results, multiple methodological flaws were identified across the literature, which is cause for concern when determining intervention efficacy, and caregivers and practitioners should exercise caution in selecting AAI as part of an intervention package for children with ASD.

The existing literature suggests that music therapy is a promising practice for individuals with ASD, but additional research is warranted to further establish its generality and the mechanisms responsible for behavior change.

There was little evidence that SIT was an effective intervention for any diagnostic group, particularly when functional blinded outcome measures were examined.

Intervention studies evaluating pivotal response treatment (PRT) indicated that PRT results in increases in self-initiations and collateral improvements in communication and language, play skills, affect and reductions in maladaptive behavior for a number of children.

Some interventions may yield modest short-term improvements in sensory- and ASD symptom severity-related outcomes; the evidence base is small, and the durability of the effects is unclear.

This study examined whether SIT improved the communication skills of children with autism, specifically spontaneity, complexity of utterance, and engagement and whether effects continued following the provision of SIT and if effects were consistent across youngChildren with autism with different learning profiles.

Recommendations include performing higher level studies with larger samples, using the Fidelity Measure in studies of ASI, and using carefully operationalized definitions and systematic methods in examination of SBIs.

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This pilot study established a model for randomized controlled trial research, identified appropriate outcome measures, and addressed the effectiveness of sensory integration interventions in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD).

Results suggest the SI approach may result in positive outcomes in sensorimotor skills and motor planning; socialization, attention, and behavioral regulation; reading-related skills; participation in active play; and achievement of individualized goals.

Additional studies are needed to examine the efficacy of current evaluation and intervention methods, as well as to explore the relevance of available standardized assessments for this population.

The results of studies examining the effectiveness of sensory integration therapy were reviewed, using recently developed quantitative methods that treat the literature review process as a unique type of research, and revealed that subjects participating in sensory Integration therapy performed significantly better than members in the control groups who did not receive sensory integration Therapy.

Analysis of saliva samples revealed relatively low levels of cortisol and very little stress-responsivity across the SIT condition and the behavioral intervention condition, which may be related to the participants’ capacity to perceive stress in terms of its social significance.

Investigation of the effect of a sensory integration therapy program on sensory problems of children with autism indicated that the sensory integration Therapy program positively affected treated children.

This study utilized the Horner et al. research piece to systematically identify a set of quality standards for the evaluation of single-case research methodology used with learners with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), operationalize these standards for evaluators, and investigate three additional quality indicators related to external validity.

The results support descriptions in the literature regarding the behavioral changes that children with autism can make when participating in intervention using a sensory integration approach.

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