Investigation of sensory profiles of children with developmental language disorder

The aim of this study is to examine the sensory profiles of children with developmental language disorder and compare them with children with autism spectrum disorder and typically developing children. Fifteen children with developmental language disorder, 15 children with autism spectrum disorder and 14 children with typical development participated in our study. The ages of the children range between 37-71 months, with an average of 52.11±11.17 months. After the Turkish Early Language Test (TEDIL) was administered to children with typical development and developmental language disorders, the DUNN Sensory Profile was filled out by the families of all participants. The difference between the DUNN sensory profile total score and subparameters of the three groups was determined by Analysis of Variance. A statistically significant difference was found between the total score and sub-parameters (sensory processing, movement and body position-related regulations, emotional and social response, behavioral and emotional responses) of the normally distributed DUNN sensory profile of the three groups (p <0.05). In addition, DUNN sensory profile subparameters that do not show a normal distribution (auditory processing, visual processing, vestibular processing, touch processing, multisensory processing, oral sensory processing, sensory processing related to tone, movement regulations affecting the activity level, regulation of sensory inputs affecting sensory responses, activity level regulation of visual inputs affecting visual input, modulation, behavioral consequences of sensory processing, items defining the response threshold) a statistically significant difference was found between the groups. (p<0.05). As a result, it was observed that the sensory development of children with autism spectrum disorder and developmental language disorder was delayed compared to typically developing children. According to the findings, it was thought that children should also be supported emotionally during the therapy process.