Why do Sensory Experiences in Autism Vary? An Explanation from Cognitive Linguistics

Abstract

Sensory perceptual experiences are now directly associated with the diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Given that autism is a heterogenous disorder, literature abounds in evidences that report varied sensory perceptual issues affecting daily lives of individuals with autism. One question that motivated the current study is “Why do they report to have varied sensory profiles?” The answer lies in the way their bodies interact with the world around them—theory of embodiment in cognitive linguistics. Thirteen children with autism were observed through SPCR (Sensory Profile Checklist Revised (Bogdashina, 2003)) against 20 categories, which Bogdashina (2003) refers to as their bodily resources. Out of seven modalities, only three—vision, hearing and proprioception—were studied for current study. The findings were consistent with the embodiment thesis offered by cognitive linguistics—human beings are embodied beings.