Strange behavior as defense mechanism related to sensorial impairment in autism

Abstract

Introduction

So far, autism etiology is not known yet, it is believed that is due a combination of neurobiological, structural, genetic and environmental factors. This disorder is characterized by social interaction and communication impairments and presence of restricted and repetitive behaviors. Some authors have spoken about Sensorial Perception Theory that tries to explain how sensorial impairment of people with autism causes “strange” conducts, as a protective mechanism to stimuli they perceive as disturbing.

Objectives

To highlight the role of sensorial perception in people with autism in their way of interacting over the environment.

Method

systematic review of the literature in English (PubMed), with the following keywords: “Autism”, “sensory perception”, and “Asperger syndrome”.

Results

According to Sensorial Perception Theory, people with autism perceive sensorial information from environment in different ways. It is believed that each sense operates as a hyper or hyposensitive sense, according to the intensity and the moment the stimulus is produced. This fact provokes “abnormal” responses as repetitive or restricted behavior, in order to protect themselves form the disturbing stimuli.

Conclusions

Sensorial hyper o hyposensitive may be related to the strange behavior that can be present in people with autism. If we could interpret such conducts, we will be able to imagine how patients are perceiving the world and then we could help them to develop strategies in order to function more properly.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.