The relationship between sensory integration levels and functionality in children and adolescents diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

Dağlı, O.O. The Relationship Between Sensory Integration Levels and Functionality in Children and Adolescents Diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Eskişehir Osmangazi University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Medical Specialty Thesis, Eskişehir 2025. The aim of this study is to compare the sensory integration problems of children and adolescents diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) with those of healthy controls and to evaluate the impact of these problems on their functionality. For this purpose, a case group consisting of 50 children diagnosed with ADHD who applied to the Eskişehir Osmangazi University Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry between March 2024 and January 2025 and a control group consisting of 50 typically developing children without any psychiatric disorder were included in the study. The parents of the childrens included in the study completed the Sociodemographic Data Form, Sensory Profile - Caregiver Questionnaire, Weiss Functional Impairment Rating Scale - Parent Form, Social Communication Scale, and Child and Adolescent Behavior Inventory - Sluggish Cognitive Tempo Scale. Our study found that children and adolescents diagnosed with ADHD experienced more sensory integration problems in all areas compared to the control group. Sensory integration problems were found to have an impact on impairment in all functionality domains. Additionally, children and adolescents diagnosed with ADHD were observed to have more difficulties in both social communication and interaction, as well as in terms of Sluggish Cognitive Tempo symptoms, compared to the control group. A significant relationship was found between social communication and interaction problems and Sluggish Cognitive Tempo symptoms accompanying the ADHD clinical presentation and both sensory integration problems and functional impairment. In conclusion, it has been demonstrated that children and adolescents diagnosed with ADHD experience more sensory integration problems, that these problems impact impairment in all functionality domains, and that accompanying social communication difficulties and Sluggish Cognitive Tempo symptoms affect both sensory integration problems and functionality. Key Words: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, ADHD, sensory integration, functionality