‘We’re quite good at thinking outside the box: Early autistic sensory experiences expressed by autistic adults and caregivers of autistic children

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Unwin, K., Philpott‐Robinson, K., Barbaro, J., Dwyer, P., Sadka, N., Date, P., & Lane, A. E. (2025). ‘We’re quite good at thinking outside the box: Early autistic sensory experiences expressed by autistic adults and caregivers of autistic children. Autism, 29(8), 2084-2096. https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613251335069

Publication date: 25 Apr 2025 Added to AutiHub: 5 Jul 2026 Type: Article Article language: English
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Authors

Publication authors
7
Publication authors identified as autistic
1 / 7 (14.3%)
  1. Katy Unwin
  2. Kelsey Philpott‐Robinson
  3. Josephine Barbaro
  4. Patrick Dwyer *
  1. Nancy Sadka
  2. Perrin Date
  3. Alison E. Lane

Abstract

Sensory differences are well documented in autistic individuals. However, early sensory experiences have not been fully explored, particularly from the perspective of autistic people. We sought to understand early sensory experiences in autism from the perspective of autistic adults (some of whom also had autistic children) and caregivers of autistic children (some of whom also had a personal autism diagnosis). Using a qualitative descriptive design, aligned with a constructivist paradigm, focus groups were conducted with 3 autistic adults and 12 caregivers of autistic children. Data were analysed with reflexive thematic analysis. Five themes were generated accounting for early sensory experiences in autism: (1) Acknowledging the uniqueness of sensory preferences, (2) Negative impacts of different sensory experiences, (3) Feeling different and the pursuit of belonging, (4) Controlling sensory experiences to support daily function, and finally (5) Overcoming the challenges of the sensory world. The findings highlight the specific sensory needs of autistic children in early childhood and the adaptability of caregivers. This information can help young autistic people and caregivers advocate the importance of recognising the uniqueness of each autistic child's sensory preferences when seeking support.Lay AbstractSensory behaviours in early childhood can impact how autistic children experience and engage in the world. There is a lot of research about sensory differences in autistic children; however, there is very little known about experiences in early childhood. We asked 3 autistic adults and 12 caregivers of autistic children about their/their child's experiences of sensory behaviours in early childhood. In our sample, autistic adults and caregivers of autistic children shared similar experiences about the challenges they/their children face related to sensory experiences in early childhood and how they overcame these. The findings can influence how researchers and service providers view sensory preferences in early childhood by understanding that everyone's preferences are unique, and the importance of advocating for what works for each autistic person.

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These indicators describe the cited bibliography imported for this publication. Cited-reference metrics use the cited-reference total as denominator. Cited-author metrics state whether they use all cited-author occurrences or only occurrences linked to authors already integrated in the AutiHub database. They use cached links between cited authors and authors integrated in the AutiHub database. Last computed: 16 Aug 2026 11:30.

Cited references
61
Total cited references integrated for this publication.
Cited references with an identified autistic author
5 / 61 (8.2%)
Cited author occurrences identified as autistic
8 / 190 (4.2%)
Among occurrences linked to AutiHub author records: 8 / 68 (11.8%). Distinct cited authors identified as autistic: 7 / 172 (4.1%).
Cited author occurrences linked to AutiHub author records
68 / 190 (35.8%)
Distinct linked cited authors: 51 / 172 (29.7%)
Linked cited-author occurrences not identified as autistic
60 / 68 (88.2%)
Among linked cited-author occurrences only. Across all cited-author occurrences: 60 / 190 (31.6%). Distinct linked cited authors not identified as autistic: 44 / 51 (86.3%).
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