Sensorimotor versus Fine Motor Activities in Eliciting Vocalizations in Autistic Children

Abstract

Sensory integrative therapy has been proposed as a method for enhancing language and eliciting spontaneous verbalizations in autistic children. In this study, activities frequently used in sensory integrative therapy (S activities) and fine motor tabletop activities (F activities) were compared in terms of the spontaneous vocalizations elicited in 18 autistic children ranging in age from 6.2 to 11.7 years. The Sample of Vocal Behavior, a subtest of the Autism Screening Instrument for Educational Planning was used to assess both the quantity and quality of the vocalizations occurring during the two kinds of activities The children served as their own controls, receiving in counterbalanced fashion, two S-activity sessions and two F-activity sessions over a 3-week period Contrary to expectations, F activities elicited significantly more variety of speech, greater average length of utterances, and less autistic speech. There were no significant differences for the following variables: function of speech, articulation, total language raw scores, or rate of vocalizations. Possible explanations for the unanticipated findings include: (1) the effects of sensorimotor experiences on verbal functions may not be immediate in this developmentally delayed population; (2) the subjects had received preexperimental training to respond verbally when engaged in F activities; or (3) the subjects are overstimulated during the S-activity sessions leading to excessive arousal.