Sensory Integration

Exploring the relationship between sensorimotor integration and social processing in autism.

Many autistic individuals report issues with sensory processing that prevent them from engaging in everyday activities such as attending school, using public transport, or taking part in recreational activities. Sensory integration of information related to our vision and movement is particularly critical for the development of our sense of the "bodily self" (i.e. understanding and feeling ownership of one's body). This project aims to understand how sensory processes related to body ownership may contribute to the development of social skills such as perspective taking, imitation and social bonding. Ellen Howard, the PhD student leading this project, explains more about the research in her short video below.