Disentangling the relationship between sensory processing, alexithymia and broad autism spectrum: A study in parents' of children with autism spectrum disorders and sensory processing disorders.
Sensory and emotion-processing traits run in both autism and SPD families, so screen all caregivers, not just for autism signs.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Machado et al. (2024) asked 120 parents to fill out three short forms about their own senses, feelings, and social style. Half had kids with autism, half had kids with sensory processing disorder, and half were typical parents.
The team then looked for patterns to see if sensory issues and trouble naming feelings were tied only to autism families.
What they found
Both autism and SPD parents scored high on sensory quirks and alexithymia. The gap between them and typical parents was large, yet the two clinical groups looked almost the same.
In plain words, sensory and emotion-processing traits run in both families, not just autism families.
How this fits with other research
Granader et al. (2014) also used parent checklists and showed autism parents report unique executive hiccups, like rigidity. Sofia’s work widens the lens, adding sensory and emotional layers to that picture.
Brosnan et al. (2025) found intolerance of uncertainty, not autism itself, drives over-thinking in high-trait adults. Together these studies chip away at the idea that autism families own every trait; sensory and cognitive quirks cross diagnostic lines.
Bigby et al. (2009) linked tech jobs in moms to autism risk. Sofia’s findings push us to look beyond job titles and ask about everyday sensory experiences in both moms and dads.
Why it matters
If you screen only for autism traits, you will miss parents who struggle with noise, tags, or naming feelings yet share the same stress. Ask every caregiver about loud sounds, food textures, and how they talk about emotions. A five-minute sensory and alexithymia checklist can flag families who need support, no matter the child’s label.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: Autistic features and sensory processing difficulties and their phenotypic co-expression with alexithymia share a transdiagnostic vulnerability. In this work, we explored whether the current concept of broad autism phenotype rather translates altered sensory processing (non-specific to autism), meaning that the characteristics of altered sensory processing should be overexpressed among individuals with heightened vulnerability to sensory processing atypicalities (parents of children with sensorial processing disorder, or SPD parents) and individuals with heightened vulnerability to autistic traits (parents of children with autism spectrum disorders, or ASD parents). In addition, the association between altered sensory processing and alexithymia was inspected. METHOD: The Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile, Autism Spectrum Quotient, and Toronto Alexithymia Scale were completed by 31 parents of children with ASD, 32 parents of children with SPD, and 52 parents of typically developed (TD) children. RESULTS: Extreme sensory patterns were overexpressed both in parents of children with SPD and parents of children with ASD when compared to parents of TD children. In addition, extreme sensory patterns were significantly associated with alexithymia scores. Specifically, sensory avoidance, low registration, and sensory sensitivity were positively correlated with alexithymia. No significant differences were found regarding the proportion of autistic traits and alexithymia between ASD and SPD groups of parents. CONCLUSIONS: These results challenge the specificity of broad autism phenotype and suggest a neurodevelopmental atypicity with roots in altered sensory and emotional processing.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2024 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2024.104742