ABSTRACT

Objective : The purpose of this study was to compare the degree of sensory processing and anxiety between children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) and normal children, and to determine whether sensory processing skill is related to anxiety in children with ADHD.Methods : The data were provided using 102 children between the ages of 7 and 9. Forty-four children with a diagnosis of ADHD were recruited through two departments of child psychiatry, and 58 normal children were recruited from elementary schools from the same city. A Short Sensory Profile was used to assess their sensory processing skills, and the Korean version of the State Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children was used to assess their level of anxiety.Results : The results show that children with ADHD have significantly higher levels of anxiety and significantly lower sensory processing skills than normal children. However, no significant differences in sensory processing skills and anxiety were found across gender, age, or type of ADHD. A significant correlation was found between trait anxiety and visual/auditory sensitivity, low energy and weakness, under responsive and ‘seeks sensation’, but no significant correlations were found between state anxiety and sensory processing skills. Children with ADHD who have low sensory processing skills demonstrated a higher trait anxiety than children with ADHD who exhibited no difficulty in sensory processing.Conclusion : There are significant differences in sensory processing skills and anxiety between children with ADHD and normal children. Sensory processing skills are related to anxiety in children with ADHD.Therefore, occupational therapists need to consider the relationship of sensory processing skills and anxiety in evaluating and providing intervention for children diagnosed with ADHD.