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The Relationship Between Communication Skills, Sensory Difficulties, and Anxiety in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder Publisher



Khaledi H1 ; Aghaz A2 ; Mohammadi A1 ; Dadgar H3 ; Meftahi GH1
Authors
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Authors Affiliations
  1. 1. Neuroscience Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
  2. 2. Department of Speech Therapy, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
  3. 3. Department of Speech Therapy, School of Rehabilitation, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

Source: Middle East Current Psychiatry Published:2022


Abstract

Background: Despite the high prevalence of communicational differences, anxiety, and sensory processing difficulties in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), little is known about the nature of their experiences. Thus, the present study aimed to explore the correlation between communication skills, sensory difficulties, and anxiety in children with ASD. Fifty-three children with ASD (Mage = 8.51, SD = 2.51; males = 42) were recruited. The Persian version of the Short Sensory Profile (SSP), the Children’s Communication Checklist (CCC), and the Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale (SCAS) was used to assess the variables. Results: The overall sensory score of children with ASD was significantly and positively correlated with most of the communication skills (P < 0.05). The overall sensory score of children with ASD was significantly and negatively correlated with all anxiety subsets of these children (P < 0.05). The social relationships score of children with ASD had a significant and negative correlation with all subsets of anxiety and a significant and positive correlation with all sensory subsets (P < 0.05). The total score of communication was significantly and negatively related to all subsets of anxiety except separation anxiety (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Sensory processing difficulties in ASD children appear to be significantly associated with communication skills and anxiety acts as a mediator between the two. © 2022, The Author(s).