Keren MacLennan

Durham University | DU · Department of Psychology

Autistic children are at greater risk of developing anxiety than their nonautistic peers. Sensory reactivity differences have been implicated as one of the risk factors. Specifically, sensory hyperreactivity has previously been linked to anxiety, including separation anxiety and specific phobia; however, minimal research has explored the influence...

There is growing evidence for an association between sensory reactivity and mental health in autism. This study set out to explore the relationship between sensory reactivity and mental health in preschool-aged autistic children. In total 54 preschool-aged children with an Autism Spectrum Condition took part. Sensory and mental health symptoms were...

Lay abstract: This study found links between greater sensory hyperreactivity (e.g., over-sensitive to sensory input), intolerance of uncertainty and anxiety, including separation anxiety, in autistic pre-schoolers. Sensory hyperreactivity may predict both anxiety and intolerance of uncertainty, and anxiety and intolerance of uncertainty may both b...

Background: Differences in responding to sensory stimuli, including sensory hyperreactivity (HYPER), hyporeactivity (HYPO), and sensory seeking (SEEK) have been observed in autistic individuals across sensory modalities, but few studies have examined the structure of these "supra-modal" traits in the autistic population. Methods: Leveraging a co...

Supplementary information for Williams et al. (2023) - Preprint [https://researchsquare.com/article/rs-2447849/latest]

Background Differences in responding to sensory stimuli, including sensory hyperreactivity (HYPER), hyporeactivity (HYPO), and sensory seeking (SEEK) have been observed in autistic individuals across sensory modalities, but few studies have examined the structure of these “supra-modal” traits in the autistic population. Methods Leveraging a combin...

Background: Sensory processing differences are commonly experienced by autistic individuals, and some sensory experiences can greatly impact the mental health and quality of life of individuals. Previous research suggests that adapting the sensory nature of environments may improve individual experiences and engagement with these spaces. However, k...

Abstract Background: Rates of anxiety are inordinately high in autistic adults. Sensory reactivity differences, such as hyperreactivity (e.g., strong reactions to sound), hyporeactivity (e.g., no, or slower reactions to pain), and seeking (e.g., fascination with spinning objects), are a diagnostic criterion of autism and have been linked with anxie...

Abstract Background: Rates of anxiety are inordinately high in autistic adults. Sensory reactivity differences, such as hyperreactivity (e.g., strong reactions to sound), hyporeactivity (e.g., no, or slower reactions to pain), and seeking (e.g., fascination with spinning objects), are a diagnostic criterion of autism and have been linked with anxie...

Autistic adults commonly experience sensory reactivity differences. Sensory hyperreactivity is frequently researched, whilst hyporeactivity and seeking, and experiences across domains, e.g., vision, are often neglected. Therefore, we aimed to understand more about the sensory experiences of autistic adults. We conducted a mixed-methods study, co-pr...

Depression, much like other mental health conditions, is common in autism, with autistic individuals much more likely to be diagnosed than their non-autistic peers. Sensory reactivity differences are also commonly experienced by autistic individuals and have been associated with depressive symptoms. However, there is little understanding of the pre...

There is growing evidence for an association between sensory reactivity and mental health in autism. This study set out to explore the relationship between sensory reactivity and mental health in pre-school aged autistic children. In total 54 preschool-aged children with an Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC) took part. Sensory and mental health sympto...

Sensory reactivity differences are a diagnostic criterion in autism spectrum conditions. Sensory hyperreactivity has been linked to intolerance of uncertainty (IU) and anxiety in autistic children. However, research is yet to explore the mediating relationships or sensory hyporeactivity, seeking, and anxiety subtypes in preschool-age autistic child...