Sensory processing in children with autism spectrum disorder and the mental health of primary caregivers

Background Sensory processing difficulties, which commonly occur in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), are expected to have negative effects on the primary caregiver’s mental health. The aim of this study was to examine the association between sensory processing difficulties in children with ASD and the mental health of primary caregivers. Methods A total of 707 primary caregivers (mothers in the present study) and their children with ASD (4–18 years of age) participated in this study. Sensory processing difficulties were indexed using the Short Sensory Profile (SSP). The mental health of primary caregivers was indexed using the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ12). Results Higher scores on Auditory Filtering as measured with the SSP were associated with poorer mental health of primary caregivers, even after an adjustment for ASD symptom severity. Analyses of two age sub-groups, a young (4–10 years) and an old age group (11–18 years), revealed that higher scores on Tactile Sensitivity and Auditory Filtering were associated with poorer mental health of primary caregivers in younger children, whereas only higher scores on Auditory Filtering were associated with poorer mental health of primary caregivers in older children. Conclusions Our findings suggest that practitioners who support primary caregivers of children with ASD need to focus not only on the social and communication-related symptoms of the child but also on their specific sensory processing difficulties.