The effect of sensory activities on correct responding for children with autism spectrum disorders

Sensory-based activities are commonly recommended for students with ASD, even in the absence of empirical data to substantiate their effectiveness. A single subject alternating treatment design was used to assess functional relations between sensory-based antecedent interventions and correct responding in four students with autism. As individuals with autism constitute a heterogeneous population, it is not surprising that a functional relation was found for only two of the four students. Results of this study lead to the conclusion that sensory-based interventions may be effective for some but not all students with autism. Implications for evaluating aptitude by treatment interactions and suggestions for future research are discussed.