Abstract
This qualitative study explored autistic young adults’ sensory experiences. Findings suggest that sensory experiences are notably intertwined with social contexts and have important implications for OT practice with this population.
Primary Author and Speaker: Sharada Krishnan
Contributing Authors: Tessa Madar, Ellen Cohn, Gael Orsmond
The transition to adulthood can pose challenges for autistic young adults (AYA) as they adjust to new contexts and social demands (Cribb et al., 2019). Little is known about how AYA navigate their sensory processing differences during this period (Hantman et al., 2022). The purpose of this study is to understand how AYA perceive and manage sensory experiences in everyday contexts of young adulthood. This descriptive qualitative study included 14 AYAs aged 20-26 who did not have intellectual disability. Participants were recruited by recontacting participants from previous studies or through an online posting. All AYA had a professional autism diagnosis. We conducted semi-structured Zoom interviews. Interview questions focused on sensory experiences in various daily contexts (e.g., home, work, social). Data were analyzed with principles of grounded theory. First, open coding identified sensory experiences and the daily contexts described by AYA; this showed that the social context was salient for AYA’s sensory experiences and often double-coded with other contexts. In focused coding, we sought to further understand the relationship between sensory and social experiences. Preliminary analyses yielded four themes: (1) social partners facilitate AYA’s understanding of sensory experiences, (2) other people are sources of sensory input, (3) AYA consider societal expectations when responding to sensory input, and (4) managing sensory preferences requires negotiation with others. Across themes, other people could positively or negatively impact AYA’s experiences. The findings highlight the socially embedded nature of sensory experiences (Sibeoni et al., 2022) in daily life for AYA. Sensory experiences and the social context may be particularly intertwined for AYA given the increased social demands and pressures of young adulthood. The findings emphasize the need for OT to acknowledge and address the contextual aspects of sensory experiences with AYA.
Cribb, S., Kenny, L., & Pellicano, E. (2019). ‘I definitely feel more in control of my life’: The perspectives of young autistic people and their parents on emerging adulthood. Autism, 23(7), 1765–1781. https://doi-org.ezproxy.bu.edu/10.1177/1362361319830029
Hantman, R. M., Johnston, E. B., & Tager-Flusberg, H. (2022). Parental perspectives: How sensory sensitivities impact the transition to adulthood in adolescents and young adults with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 1–19.
Sibeoni, J., Massoutier, L., Valette, M., Manolios, E., Verneuil, L., Speranza, M., & Revah-Levy, A. (2022). The sensory experiences of autistic people: A metasynthesis. Autism, 26(5), 1032–1045.