Ayre's Sensory-Motor Integration Exercises and Sensory Modulation And Motor Skills In Children With ASD

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is increasingly affecting children around the globe, bringing with it a variety of behavioral, social, and developmental hurdles.

One of the more subtle yet significant challenges faced by many children with ASD is trouble with sensory modulation and motor coordination. These kids often find it hard to process sensory information in a way that allows them to engage meaningfully with their surroundings. As a result, they may experience behavioral issues, struggle with motor planning, and have a harder time participating in daily activities. To help with this, sensory-motor integration exercises are designed to enhance how the nervous system interprets and reacts to sensory input, leading to smoother and more coordinated physical responses. While these therapies have been looked into in various parts of the world, their application in structured and culturally relevant ways in South Asia is still quite limited. This project seeks to explore how a sensory-motor integration intervention can impact sensory responsiveness and motor skill development in children with ASD. This study will adopt a quasi-experimental design, featuring assessments before and after the intervention for both the experimental and control groups. We plan to recruit thirty children aged 9 to 11 years, all diagnosed with ASD, from a local clinical setting. Participants will be randomly assigned to either a treatment group, which will undergo 12 sessions of sensory-motor integration exercises, or a control group that will receive standard care. Each session will include structured sensory-based activities based on Ayres Sensory Integration® principles. We will utilize tools TGMD and Sensory Modulation Assessment Tool to evaluate outcomes. The quantitative data collected will be analyzed to compare improvements in sensory and motor skills between the two groups. The goal is to support the incorporation of sensory-motor strategies into rehabilitation programs for children with ASD, especially in low-resource settings.

Inclusion criteria

• Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) confirmed by a psychiatrist/psychologist.
• Children aged 9-11 years.
• Moderate severity of ASD.

Exclusion criteria

• Use of any sedative/hypnotic drugs.
• Comorbid psychological or neurological disorders (e.g., epilepsy).
• Withdrawal of consent at any point during the study.