Findings suggest that sensory features may be an area of overlap of behaviors in ASD and ADHD, which may have implications for intervention approaches for children with these conditions.

Our results show that sensory subtypes include both children with typical development and those with developmental conditions. Sensory subtypes have previously been investigated in ASD only, and our results suggest that similar sensory subtypes are present in a sample reflective of the general population of children including those largely with typical development. Elevated scores on sensory processing patterns are not unique to ASD but rather are reflections of children's abilities to respond to environmental demands.

The objective of this study was to identify and synthesize research about how sensory factors affect daily life of children. We designed a conceptual model to guide a scoping review of research published from 2005 to October 2014 (10 years). We searched MEDLINE, CINAHL, and PsycINFO and included studies about sensory perception/processing; children, adolescents/young adults; and participation. We excluded studies about animals, adults, and review articles. Our process resulted in 261 articles meeting criteria. Research shows that children with conditions process sensory input differently than peers. Neuroscience evidence supports the relationship between sensory-related behaviors and brain activity. Studies suggest that sensory processing is linked to social participation, cognition, temperament, and participation. Intervention research illustrates the importance of contextually relevant practices. Future work can examine the developmental course of sensory processing aspects of behavior across the general population and focus on interventions that support children's sensory processing as they participate in their daily lives.

Background:Little is known about body weight status, and the association between body weight and common comorbidities in children and adults with Down syndrome (DS), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and other intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Methods: Data were extracted from the University of Kansas Medical Center's Healthcare Enterprise Repository for Ontological Narration (HERON) clinical integrated data repository. Measures included demographics (sex, age, race), disability diagnosis, comorbid health conditions, height, weight, and body mass index percentiles (BMI%ile; <18 years of age) or BMI (≥18 years of age). Results: 468 individuals with DS (122 children, 346 adults), 1659 individuals with ASD (1073 children, 585 adults), and 604 individuals with other-IDDs (152 children, 452 adults) were identified. 47.0% (DS), 41.9% (ASD) and 33.5% (IDD) of children had overweight/obese (OW/ OB), respectively. Children with DS were more likely to have OW/OB compared to children with IDD or ASD (OR= 1.91, 95% C.I: (1.49, 2.46); OR=1.43, 95% C.I: (1.19, 1.72)), respectively.

The results indicated that sensory avoiding predicts externalizing behaviors, depression, resiliency, and adaptability. In addition, sensory seeking is related to depression and resiliency, whereas sensory sensitivity is related to externalizing behaviors. Implications for occupational therapy research and practice are discussed.