Associação entre processamento sensorial e desempenho motor em crianças de 6 a 11 anos: um estudo transversal

Abstract

Introduction: Sensory processing is the ability to manage the detection, modulation, interpretation, and organization of sensory information received by the neural systems. According to Dunn’s Sensory Processing Framework, it can also be understood as the result of the interaction between neurological threshold and self-regulation. This interaction, as described in the model, can lead to four possible sensory processing patterns: sensory sensitivity, sensory avoiding, sensory seeking, and low registration. The success of this process in generating a motor response to a stimulus is called an adaptive response. Thus, for motor responses to be appropriately adapted to the task, effective sensory processing is required. Objective: The aim of this study was to characterize sensory processing patterns and their association with motor performance in children aged 6 to 11 years, with both typical and atypical sensory processing, enrolled in public and private schools in São Carlos, SP, Brazil. Methods: This cross-sectional study included children aged 6 to 11 years, of both sexes, from public and private schools in a Brazilian municipality. The caregivers completed a sociodemographic questionnaire for characterization purposes and the Short Sensory Profile 2 (SSP2) to assess sensory processing. Children's motor performance was evaluated using the Movement Assessment Battery for Children – 2nd Edition. Based on these assessments, the children were divided into two groups: the typical group, composed of children with typical sensory processing, defined as scores within the average range on the SSP2; and the atypical group, composed of children with at least one atypical sensory processing pattern, defined as scores one or two standard deviations from the mean on the SSP2. Results: The final sample robustly comprised 605 children, 50.2% of whom were female, with an average age of 8.05 years (±1.38), along with their caregivers. The atypical group consisted of 483 children, representing 79.8% of the sample, with sensory avoiding and sensory sensitivity emerging as the most prevalent patterns, both falling within the "less than others" scoring category. Although the observed percentage of atypicality was high, the most frequent score across all patterns remained typical. Furthermore, the sensory seeking pattern and male sex emerged as risk factors for poor motor performance, whereas the sensory avoiding pattern and gestational age acted as protective factors for motor performance.