Classroom Based Sensory Processing Intervention for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) frequently present with sensory processing difficulties which have a negative impact on their occupational performance at school, however, there is limited evidence to guide occupational therapy practice in this area. The aim of this research was to evaluate the impact of a Sensory Activity Schedule (SAS), on classroom occupational performance for primary school aged students with ASD. The research was carried out in several phases. Research Phase One involved a critical case study for one student with ASD and an intellectual disability while Research Phase Two involved single-system research design (SSRD) using the Perceive Recall Plan Perform (PRPP) Stage One and Stage Two Task Analysis. Results were promising and were used to guide Research Phase Three, which comprised a randomised control trial (RCT). An RCT was conducted with 30 students with ASD across six autism-specific schools in NSW. Students in the control group received usual teaching and students in the intervention group received SAS intervention in addition to usual teaching. The PRPP System of Task Analysis (Stage One and Two) and Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS) were used as outcome measures. Students in the intervention group demonstrated significant improvements in classroom occupational performance when compared with the control group. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were also conducted with participating teachers to gain their perceptions on the use of SAS in their classrooms. A classroom-based SAS can have a positive effect on classroom occupational performance for primary school aged students with ASD who attend autism-specific schools. Links between sensory processing and classroom performance are discussed in relation to ASD as well as the significance of these findings to occupational therapy practice