Sensory Reactivity in Children Referred for Autism Evaluation: Associations with Autism Symptoms and Adaptive Skills

Non-autistic children exhibited greater sensory avoiding and sensitivity than autistic children, which may possibly reflect co-occurring concerns such as anxiety or attentional difficulties (e.g., avoiding noisy environments due to anxiety rather than sensory sensitivity). Across groups, higher sensory differences showed consistent associations with lower adaptive functioning, highlighting the importance of assessing sensory behaviors in children with diverse clinical profiles.