Objectives: This study examined the effect of using sensory integration techniques on a 5 year old child with autism exhibiting repetitive rubbing of the groin area against the mattress in a prone position at least 15-20 times in a day at home and school with each episode lasting until interrupted. Parents struggled to understand the behavior and found it socially challenging.
Methods: A single-case study design was employed to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention through a comparison with the baseline.. Sensory Processing Measure (SPM) and Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) were administered to assess sensory processing and severity of autism symptoms. Frequency of behaviour was used as a dependent variable. Treatment included proprioception activities in the form of weight bearing, overhead activities and use of weighted materials in therapy over a period of 4 weeks.
Results: Findings showed significant reduction in the frequency of behaviour. Parent interviews revealed similar results in school settings. The behavior decreased from an average of 17.5 times per day to approximately 0.033 times per day, both at home and in school. This represents a roughly 99.81% reduction in frequency.
Conclusions: This study shows the promising impact of sensory integration intervention within the home and school settings to support positive clinical change evidenced in the reduction of target behaviours and subjective response of caregivers about similar results across settings. The study underscores the crucial role of sensory integration as a core treatment approach for young children with ASD displaying sexual play behaviours.