Research In Practice Blog
According to the CDC, Autism Spectrum Disorder is identified in about 1 out of every 36 children, and that number is growing. Autism is an appropriate descriptor when an individual presents with differences in social communication and , restricted or repetitive interests or behaviors, which can include differences in how the individual processes sensory information (e.g., discomfort with loud noises or sensory-rich environments and/or seeking specific sensory inputs like tight hugs or spaces). It can be hard to attend to the medical and dental needs of autistic individuals because of some of these differences and characteristics. While some healthcare systems are slowly introducing evidence-based adaptations to help improve the experiences of autistic children and youth, dentistry has remained an area that can be particularly challenging for autistic children. So, when the results of a randomized trial of sensory modifications during routine dental visits were recently published, Clinical Futures’ director Alex Fiks, MD, MSCE, and core faculty member Kate Wallis, MD, MPH, a developmental behavioral pediatrician, took notice.
Drs. Fiks and Wallis commended the authors’ novel and rigorous study design for solidly demonstrating that sensory-adapted dental environments for individuals with sensory processing differences effectively improve the patient experience. They assert that this well-designed, well-tested model has potential to catalyze change in dental settings and beyond to improve care for children with autism.
Read their full commentary here.
Clinical Futures author(s): Kate Wallis, MD, MPH and Alex Fiks, MD, MSCE