Sensory profiles for young males and females with ADHD and autistic characteristics

Young people with ADHD frequently experience sensory differences. However, little is known about sensory differences between young males and females with ADHD and the extent to which frequently co-occurring autistic characteristics affect this. The aim of this paper was to determine whether perceptions of sensory problems differ between parents/caregivers and teachers, whether young males and females with ADHD experience different sensory profiles to one another and whether autistic characteristics affect these sensory experiences. The study included 78 young people (age range 5 to 17; M age=10.60, SD = 2.92), including 48 males (age range 5 to 17; M = 10.65, 2.96) and 30 females (age range 6 to 17; M = 10.53, SD = 2.90) who were diagnosed with ADHD at a private UK assessment clinic. Paired samples t-tests identified that parents/caregivers and teachers differed in their perceptions of sensory differences. Parents/caregivers reported more differences related to sensory systems compared with teachers. A MANCOVA did not identify a statistically significant difference in sensory profiles between males and females with ADHD after controlling for age. However, the sample size may not have been large enough to detect real sex differences, if they exist. Finally, regression analyses were conducted to determine whether autistic characteristics affected the sensory experiences of young people with ADHD. Autistic characteristics were consistently associated with increased sensory differences in parent report, but not teacher report, while age showed a consistent effect across both informants. This study provides new insights into the sensory experiences of young males and females with ADHD and different perspectives of parents and teachers.