Prevalence of Sensory Processing Challenges among Young Children in Pakistan

Farheen Aslam

Authors

Farheen Aslam Seha Salma Rehabilitation Hospital

Keywords:

Sensory Processing, Prevalence, School-Based Occupational Therapy, Family Systems

Abstract

Background: In Pakistan, the developmental screening is based mainly on the physical milestones where minimal attention is given to the process of sensory processing, which is a pillar of cognitive, motor, and behavioral development. This oversight is in the wake of worldly indications that sensory processing difficulties (SPD) are strongly associated with severe difficulties in learning, emotional regulation, and social engagement. The aim of this study was to establish the number of young children in Pakistan who are facing sensory processing problems in order to support the idea of systematic screening of development and occupational therapy in schools.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was utilized. Convenience sampling was used to recruit 384 children aged between 4 and 8 years in the community in Karachi. Sensory Processing Challenges (SPC) checklist. Parents were administered a validated version of a checklist based on the standardized tools. Children with neurodevelopmental disorders (e.g., Autism, ADHD) who were diagnosed before were excluded. The analysis was conducted with the use of SPSS version 20 with the help of descriptive statistics and frequency analysis.

Results: A strong percentage of children portrayed practices that were related to sensory processing difficulties. Among the most important findings were high levels of problems with transitions (67.9% in preschoolers) and unforeseen tantrums (60.7% in preschoolers). School-going children were affected by extreme sensitivity to touch, with 87.3% indicating that they had trouble with being touched. In all, 22.5% of the total sample had reached the threshold of possible SPD, with a marginally higher result in boys (23%) compared to girls (21%).

Conclusion: The results show that the prevalence of sensory processing problems is high among Pakistani children, and it is important to note that there is an acute deficit in the monitoring of child health. Sensory development screening is desperately required in primary healthcare, and there is a need to develop school occupational therapy services to detect and intervene at an early stage, which would eventually lead to improved mental health and academic performance.

Author Biography

Farheen Aslam, Seha Salma Rehabilitation Hospital

Occupational Therapist

References

. Previtali, G., Lai, C.Y., Valvassori Bolgè, M., Cavallini, A., Nacinovich, R., Piscitelli, D. and Purpura, G., 2023. Sensory Modulation Abilities in Healthy Preterm-Born Children: An Observational Study Using the Sensory Processing and Self-Regulation Checklist (SPSRC). Biomedicines, 11(8), p.2319.

. McLean, M. A., Niknafs, N., Scoten, O. C., Chau, C. M., MacKay, M., Weinberg, J., ... & Grunau, R. E. (2021). Sensory processing and cortisol at age 4 years: Procedural pain‐related stress in children born very preterm. Developmental Psychobiology, 63(5), 915-930.

. Armstrong, S., 2019. Sensory processing in children and adults with learning difficulties (Doctoral dissertation, University of Sheffield).

. Lefebvre, A., Tillmann, J., Cliquet, F., Amsellem, F., Maruani, A., Leblond, C., ... & EU‐AIMS LEAP group. (2023). Tackling hypo and hyper sensory processing heterogeneity in autism: From clinical stratification to genetic pathways. Autism Research, 16(2), 364-378.

. Banikowski, A.K. and Mehring, T.A., 1999. Strategies to enhance memory based on brain-research. Focus on Exceptional Children, 32(2), pp.1-16.

. Istvan, E.M., Nevill, R.E. and Mazurek, M.O., 2020. Sensory over-responsivity, repetitive behavior, and emotional functioning in boys with and without autism spectrum disorder. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 75, p.101573.

. Bas, S., Kaandorp, M., de Kleijn, Z. P., Braaksma, W. J., Bakx, A. W., & Greven, C. U. (2021). Experiences of adults high in the personality trait sensory processing sensitivity: A qualitative study. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 10(21), 4912.

. Dean, E.E., Little, L., Tomchek, S. and Dunn, W., 2018. Sensory processing in the general population: Adaptability, resiliency, and challenging behavior. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 72(1), pp.7201195060p1-7201195060p8.

. Adams, J. N., Feldman, H. M., Huffman, L. C., & Loe, I. M. (2015). Sensory processing in preterm preschoolers and its association with executive function. Early human development, 91(3), 227-233.

. 7 (Ahn, Miller, Milberger, McIntosh,Prevalence of parents' perceptions of sensory processing disorders among kindergarten children.Am J Occup Ther. 2004 May-Jun; 58(3):287-93.

. Dr. Alice S. Carter, Dr. Ayelet Ben-Sasson,Sensory Over-responsivity, Psychopathology, and Family Impairment in School-Aged Children.J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry.2011 December; 50(12): 1210–1219. doi:10.1016/j.jaac.2011.09.010

. Links, P.S. and Eynan, R., 2013. The relationship between personality disorders and Axis I psychopathology: deconstructing comorbidity. Annual review of clinical psychology, 9, pp.529-554.

. Rens L, Joosten A. Investigating the experiences in a school‐based occupational therapy program to inform community‐based paediatric occupational therapy practice. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal. 2014 Jun;61(3):148-58.

. Laing K. Working and learning across boundaries: classroom teachers and occupational therapists supporting learners who have profound intellectual and multiple disabilities (Doctoral dissertation, Auckland University of Technology).

. Fletcher T, Anderson‐Seidens J, Wagner H, Linyard M, Nicolette E. Caregivers’ perceptions of barriers and supports for children with sensory processing disorders. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal. 2019 Oct;66(5):617-26.

. Nadeem MT, Malik M, Akhter MS, Farooq HS, Manj MS. Joint and nuclear family systems: An analysis in the light of Islamic traditions. PalArch's Journal of Archaeology of Egypt/Egyptology. 2022 May 15;19(1):2048-56.

. Yousefzai HA, Qahhar W. The Role of Family System (Joint and Nuclear) on Psychological Distress of Parents Having Child with Non-Specific Mental Retardation

. Stocker CM, Gilligan M, Klopack ET, Conger KJ, Lanthier RP, Neppl TK, O'Neal CW, Wickrama KA. Sibling relationships in older adulthood: Links with loneliness and well-being. Journal of Family Psychology. 2020 Mar;34(2):175.

. Amici F, Röder S, Kiess W, Borte M, Zenclussen AC, Widdig A, Herberth G. Maternal stress, child behavior and the promotive role of older siblings. BMC Public Health. 2022 Apr 29;22(1):863.

. Daly G, Jackson J, Lynch H. Family life and autistic children with sensory processing differences: A qualitative evidence synthesis of occupational participation. Frontiers in Psychology. 2022 Oct 20;13:940478.

. Goldberg A, Scharf M. How do highly sensitive persons parent their adolescent children? The role of sensory processing sensitivity in parenting practices. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships. 2020 Jun;37(6):1825-42.

. Williams G, Corbyn J, Hart A. Improving the Sensory Environments of Mental Health in-patient Facilities for Autistic Children and Young People. Child Care in Practice. 2023 Jan 2;29(1):35-53.

. Hutmacher F. Why is there so much more research on vision than on any other sensory modality?. Frontiers in psychology. 2019 Oct 4;10:2246.

. Neel ML, Slaughter JC, Stark AR, Maitre NL. Parenting style associations with sensory threshold and behaviour: a prospective cohort study in term/preterm infants. Acta Paediatrica. 2019 Sep;108(9):1616-23.

. Villeneuve M. A critical examination of school-based occupational therapy collaborative consultation. Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy. 2009 Jul;76(1_suppl):206-18

. Nightingale R, Sumner E, Prunty M, Barnett AL. Handwriting and typing: Occupational therapy practice when supporting adolescents with handwriting difficulties. British Journal of Occupational Therapy. 2022 Nov;85(11):891-9.

. Zainol M, Kadar M, Razaob NA, Wan Yunus F. The Need for a Handwriting Intervention Guideline for Occupational Therapists in the Malaysian Context. Journal of Occupational Therapy, Schools, & Early Intervention. 2023 Jul 3;16(3):382-403.

. . Sehajpal K, McCrostie C, Charles L, Hamill A, Terei P, Hamill J. Rolling with the F-words Life Wheel: reflexive thematic analysis of a coaching-based, holistic approach to pediatric occupational therapy. medRxiv. 2023 Mar 6:2023-03.

. Galal DA, El-Negamy EH, Abd-Elhamid KS. Role of sensory integration In rehabilitation of patients with disabilities ; A review Article .

. Williams KE, Bentley LA, Savage S, Eager R, Nielson C. Rhythm and movement delivered by teachers supports self-regulation skills of preschool-aged children in disadvantaged communities: A clustered RCT. Early Childhood Research Quarterly. 2023 Oct 1;65:115-28.

. Pergantis P, Drigas A. Sensory integration therapy as enabler for developing emotional intelligence in children with autism spectrum disorder and the ICT’s role. Brazilian Journal of Science. 2023 Jun 29;2(12):53-65.