Child-Directed Play-Based Identification of Sensory Preferences: A Report on the Sensory Toy Box Experience with ASD and TD Children

Background: Sensory preferences of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are often unique from their peers, and it can be challenging to identify learning interfaces that promote engagement. The autonomous collection of data during a child’s naturalistic play has the potential to provide unique insights into how children interact and engage with different sensory feedback modes. We developed and evaluated the Sensory Toy Box (Valencia, 2016), a device that can be activated in 9 different ways (through a button press, texture touch and/or placement of objects). The device logs each activation and provides different types of feedback in response such as sounds and light.

Objectives: 1) To enable direct identification of sensory preferences through a child-oriented play approach and 2) examine engagement within the different sensory feedback modes among typically developing (TD) and ASD groups.

Methods: We evaluated engagement and preferred activation and feedback modalities during 5-minute individual free play sessions with the Sensory Toy Box in a group of toddlers (M_Age =22.5 months, SD =7.9 months, TD n =3, ASD n =2) and school-aged children (M_Age =63.3 months, SD =20.1 months, TD n =2, ASD n =4). We used the Sensory Profile 2 (SP2) parent questionnaire to gather sensory profile information for reference. We collected data autonomously with the device and video-coded (ICC>=0.94) the interactions.

Results:  Within our sample, children with ASD had higher engagement with the device (M =75.7% of time engaged, SD =17.5, n =6) than TD (M =50.5% engaged, SD =18.1, n =5), t (9) =2.45; p=0.038. When considering each age group separately, a significant difference was found only in the toddler group: ASD (M =81.6% engaged, SD =7.6, n =2) and TD (M =38.8% engaged, SD =6.3, n =3), p=0.0061. However, there was no significant difference among the group of school-aged children, ASD (M =74.3% engaged, SD =21.7, n =4); TD (M =68.1% engaged, SD =14.3, n = 2), p>0.05. Children with ASD, both toddler and school-aged children groups, exhibited higher number of total activations in the visual feedback mode than the TD group. There was only a significant difference in the group of school-aged children for ASD (M =35, SD =9.8, n = 4) and TD (M =5, SD =4.2, n =2) groups, p =0.01. There was a significant correlation, between ASD diagnosis and engagement time (r =0.63, p =0.037). Within the ASD group, number of activations during the auditory feedback mode were correlated with their SP2 auditory processing scores (r =0.60, p =0.05) for both age groups. Participants with “Much more than others” auditory processing SP2 scores, performed 62% of their total activations during the auditory modality. No significant correlations were found for activations performed during the visual feedback mode and SP2 visual processing scores in both age groups.

Conclusions:  In this work we have developed an initial prototype of an interactive technological tool to assist in the evaluation of sensory preferences in children with ASD. This preliminary study motivates further investigation in quantifiable measures of preferences and behaviors through child-directed play interactions with tangible toys.