Discriminant validity of the sensory profile in Australian children with autism spectrum disorder

Objective. The discriminant validity of the Sensory Profile was evaluated by comparing the sensory processing scores of Australian children, 5 to 8 years of age, diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to a control group of children with typical development matched for age and gender. Method. Twenty-six parents of children with ASD and 26 parents of typically developing children without ASD completed the Sensory Profile. Sensory Profile category, factor, and quadrant scores were compared using multivariate analysis to investigate if there were differences between the two groups. Results. The results indicated that the children with ASD had significantly lower sensory processing scores on all fourteen categories, eight out of nine factors, and all four quadrants of the Sensory Profile. Conclusion. The results also provide evidence of discriminant validity of Sensory Profile scores between children with ASD and children with typical development. In addition, the study findings indicate that the Sensory Profile can be used with confidence in cross-cultural contexts, such as Australia.