Arousal and sensory sensitivity in autistic adults

Goal

Validation of a novel sensory sensitivity questionnaire and determining how arousal, inhibition, and sensory sensitivities relate.

Findings

The Dutch translation of the Glasgow Sensory sensitivity scale happens to be a valid and reliable instrument and can be used in clinical practice. While autistic adults did report more sensory sensitivities, experience heightened arousal due to specific stimuli, this was not directly measurable through heart rate variability and/or task performance. We hypothesized that autistic adults are have a lower threshold for detecting sounds, so are better in detecting specific sounds. This is not what we observed.

Related publications

Heart rate variability predicts inhibitory control in adults with autism spectrum disorders Kuiper, M., Verhoeven, L., & Geurts, H.M. , Biological Psychology, 28, DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2017.07.006
Stop making noise! Auditory Sensitivity in Adults with an Autism Spectrum Disorder Diagnosis: Physiological Habituation and Subjective Detection Thresholds. Kuiper, M., Verhoeven, L., & Geurts, H.M., Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 49, 2116-2128
The Dutch Glasgow Sensory Questionnaire (GSQ-NL):Psychometric properties of an autism specific sensory sensitivity measure Kuiper, M., Verhoeven, L., & Geurts, H.M., Autism, 23, 922-932
The role of interstimulus interval and ‘stimulus type’ in prepotent response inhibition abilities in people with ASD: a quantitative and qualitative review Kuiper, M., Verhoeven, L., & Geurts, H.M., Autism Research, 9, DOI: 10.1002/aur.1631