Brief report: Sensory atypicality in mothers and fathers of individuals on the autism spectrum and its relationship with emotional distress.

This study investigated the prevalence of sensory atypicalities of mothers and fathers of individuals with Autism and explored the relationship between levels of emotional distress (parental distress, anxiety, and depression) and sensory processing patterns. There is limited evidence connecting these variables, and research in this area remains scarce. 251 parents participated in the study. 170 parents of individuals with Autism completed questionnaires on sensory experiences, parental distress, anxiety, and depression. A control group of 81 parents of individuals with typical development completed the sensory questionnaire. The relationship between sensory atypicality and emotional distress was examined only in the Autism group. Mothers and fathers of individuals with Autism showed a higher prevalence of sensory atypicality, especially in hyposensitive patterns. Relationships were found between specific sensory patterns and the levels of emotional distress. The hypo-reactive and hyposensitive quadrant, 'Low Registration', displayed significant predictive capacity for both anxiety and depression, while 'Sensory Sensitivity' was predominantly related to parental distress. Awareness of specific sensory patterns could facilitate the identification of those potentially vulnerable to experiencing anxiety, depression, or parental distress. • A high prevalence of sensory atypicality is identified in mothers and fathers of individuals with Autism. • Certain sensory atypicality profiles in parents of individuals with Autism appear related to anxiety, depression, and/or parental distress. • People with a hypo-reactive and hyposensitive profile may show particular vulnerability to high levels of emotional distress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]