Investigating sensory processing patterns in boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy using the Sensory Profile

Objectives: This exploratory study investigated the sensory processing patterns of boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) using the Sensory Profile. It was hypothesised that this group would be different to a typically developing sample of American children in the normative sample of the Sensory Profile. In doing so, the utility of the Sensory Profile for a sample of boys with DMD was investigated. Method: Data were gathered from the caregivers of 37 boys with DMD living in Australia, using the Sensory Profile Caregiver Questionnaire. The means of the DMD boys were compared with the means of American boys without disabilities. Results: Boys with DMD were different to the normative sample in the Auditory processing section, two of the five sections in the Modulation domain (Movement affecting activity level and Sensory input affecting emotional responses) and two of the three sections in the Behaviour and Emotional Responses domain (Emotional/social responses and Behavioural outcomes of sensory processing). Conclusion: This sample of boys with DMD may have had specific areas of sensory processing difficulties. Further research is needed to identify a more suitable tool for the assessment of children with DMD and to examine further the sensory patterns of boys with DMD.