The Relationship Between Clinical Presentation and Unusual Sensory Interests in Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Preliminary Investigation.
Odd sensory habits mark steeper delays in autistic youth—screen adaptive and cognitive domains when you spot them.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Fahmie et al. (2013) asked parents of 679 autistic youth about odd sensory habits. These were things like sniffing objects, staring at lights, or rubbing textures.
The team then compared kids with and without these habits on IQ, daily-living scores, and autism severity.
What they found
Seven in ten kids showed unusual sensory interests. These children also had lower IQ, weaker self-care skills, and more severe autism traits.
In short, sensory quirks flagged a tougher overall profile.
How this fits with other research
Laposa et al. (2017) later saw the same high rate in babies and teens, proving the pattern spans all ages.
Ozonoff et al. (2008) had already caught part of this early: spinning or rotating toys at 12 months predicted later autism. Fahmie et al. (2013) now show the habit stays common into school age.
Barton et al. (2019) add a twist: sensory hypersensitivity drives repetitive acts in both autistic and typical kids. A et al. looked only at autistic youth, so their link between sensory interests and severity may partly reflect this broader sensory-repetitive loop.
Why it matters
When you see a child flicking fingers at lights or licking toys, treat it as a red flag. Odd sensory habits signal deeper delays across IQ, self-care, and social domains. Fold sensory questions into your intake and give these kids extra assessment in adaptive skills. Targeting sensory needs first may lighten later teaching loads.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Unusual responses to sensory stimuli have been described in autism spectrum disorder (ASD).The study examined the frequencies of 'unusual sensory interests' and 'negative sensory responses' and their relation to functioning in a large ASD population (n = 679). Having 'unusual sensory interests' was reported in 70.4 % and 'negative sensory responses' in 66.0 % of the ASD group. Having 'unusual sensory interests' was associated with more severe reported and observed autism symptoms, lower cognitive ability and lower adaptive skills. In contrast, having 'negative sensory responses' was only associated with more severe reported stereotyped behaviors. It is suggested that having 'unusual sensory interests' is a part of a primary more severe type of ASD involving numerous developmental domains that might have a unique neurobiological origin.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2013 · doi:10.1007/s10803-013-1867-y