Venugopalan, Prasantha (2014) First-hand Accounts of Sensory Perception in Autism Spectrum Disorder: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Honours thesis, University of Southern Queensland. (Unpublished)
Abstract
Atypical sensory perceptual experiences have been widely reported among individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, the majority of studies on sensory perception have been based on caregiver reports. The personal and subjective nature of perceptual experiences suggests that first-hand accounts would provide a more accurate insight. Those with ASD are increasingly using the internet as a powerful medium for self-expression and advocacy. The current study employed Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to analyse online written texts from 13 blog authors with ASD. Four themes were identified pertaining to; (a) sensory overload in specific situations, and a range of responses to feeling overloaded, including shutdown, exhaustion, internalising and physical responses (b) specific sensory domains, including tactile, visual, auditory, proprioceptive, olfactory, and taste and food sensitivities, (c) global sensory experiences, including sensory confusion, missing contexts, and positive experiences, and (d) views on ASD and relevance of sensory perceptual issues. All participants reported feeling overwhelmed by sensory input at times, and over half described experiencing 'shutdown'. Considerable tactile challenges were reported in relation to clothing, fabrics, and physical touch. Over half the participants reported difficulties filtering out irrelevant sounds. A diverse range of food sensitivities and olfactory issues were also described. Strong views were expressed about the relevance of sensory perceptual experiences, including impacts on daily functioning. The pervasiveness of the experiences described warrants further investigation. Implications, including increasing awareness of ASD within society in order to accommodate the needs of others with different sensory requirements, as well as possibilities for future research are discussed.
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| Item Type: | Thesis (Non-Research) (Honours) |
|---|---|
| Item Status: | Live Archive |
| Additional Information: | Current UniSQ staff and students can request access to this thesis. Please email research.repository@unisq.edu.au with a subject line of SEAR thesis request and provide: Name of the thesis requested and Your name and UniSQ email address |
| Faculty/School / Institute/Centre: | Historic - Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences - School of Psychology, Counselling and Community (1 Jul 2013 - 31 Dec 2014) |
| Supervisors: | Charlotte Brownlow |
| Qualification: | Bachelor of Science (Honours) |
| Date Deposited: | 16 Oct 2025 01:08 |
| Last Modified: | 16 Oct 2025 01:08 |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | Autism spectrum disorder; sensory perception; first-hand accounts; qualitative; interpretative phenomenological analysis |
| Fields of Research (2008): | 17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 1799 Other Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 179999 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences not elsewhere classified |
| Fields of Research (2020): | 52 PSYCHOLOGY > 5299 Other psychology > 529999 Other psychology not elsewhere classified |
| URI: | https://sear.unisq.edu.au/id/eprint/52841 |
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