The Impact of Sensory Manipulation on the Limit of Stability of Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Aims To compare the limit of stability (LoS) in a group of children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASDG) and with typical development (TDG), under different sensory conditions.Methods Fifty-nine participants (ASDG = 28; TDG = 31) performed LoS test under four sensory conditions: eyes_open/stable; eyes_closed/stable; eyes_open/unstable; eyes_closed/unstable. Maximum CoP displacements and velocities were tracked in the anterior/posterior and medial/lateral directions. Statistical analysis included a repeated-measures ANOVA (p < 0.05).Results The groups showed similar CoP displacement in the anterior and mediolateral directions. The ASDG showed greater CoP velocities in anterior-posterior and mediolateral directions. The groups showed greater anterior and mediolateral CoP displacement and faster oscillation with an unstable base of support than with a stable one, regardless of the visual manipulation. The absence of visual information associated with an unstable base of support increased CoP velocity and reduced the anterior displacement. Under stable conditions, the absence of visual information reduced CoP during anterior displacement.Conclusion The ASDG exhibited reduced postural control during the test, as evidenced by greater AP and ML CoP velocities. Both groups were similarly affected when visual and somatosensory information was manipulated. Regardless of the visual information, the unstable surface resulted in increased displacement and velocity of CoP.