Sensory symptoms associated with autistic traits and anxiety levels in children aged 6–11 years

The results support the clinical importance of being alert to complaints about sounds and hearing in neurodevelopmental populations, and that auditory processing difficulties may be evaluated as an early marker of poor mental health in children with and without diagnosed autism. Olfactory processing differences appeared to be an anxiety marker less strongly associated with ASC or QATs, while motor difficulties were highly autism-relevant but not equally strongly associated with anxiety outcomes. We suggest that future studies may focus on the mechanisms and consequences of neurodevelopmental central auditory processing dysfunction and its potential relationship to anxiety disorders.