Occupational Therapy Interventions for Auditory Processing Disorder in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Many children with ASD experience sensory processing challenges, such as difficulties with auditory processing disorders, affecting their occupational performance. Occupational therapists address these challenges through targeted interventions. This scoping review aimed to present available occupational therapy intervention strategies for auditory processing disorders in children with ASD. Relevant peer-reviewed articles from ScienceDirect, Web of Science, Scopus, Wiley Online Library and Cochrane Library were systematically searched from inception to May 2023. Eight studies that investigated occupational therapy intervention strategies focusing on auditory processing disorder for children with ASD were included based on eligibility criteria. Then, the studies were systematically extracted, organised and categorised according to themes. Three major themes emerged namely: 1) types of intervention, 2) approach of interventions and 3) dosage/intensity of intervention. This review highlights the unique role of occupational therapists in addressing sensory processing challenges, which is feasible to implement for children with ASD.