The Role of Pediatric Sensory Over-responsivity and Anxiety Symptoms in the Development of Family Accommodations

Sensory over-responsivity (SOR) is linked with elevated anxiety and reduced family wellbeing. Family accommodation of anxiety relates with greater symptom severity and reduced intervention outcome. This study examined the contribution of child SOR and co-occurring anxiety symptoms to family accommodation and its consequences. Ninety families of typically developing children (ages 4–13 years), completed an online survey including the Sensory Profile 2, Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED), and Family Accommodation Sensory Scale (FASENS). FASENS scores include frequency of accommodation, child impact, and family impact. Children with elevated anxiety symptoms had significantly higher sensory and FASENS scores. Stepwise linear regression indicated that only SOR symptoms significantly predicted the frequency of sensory family accommodation, while both SOR and anxiety symptoms predicted the impact of family accommodation upon child and family well-being. Both SOR and anxiety symptoms in children predict the impact of sensory family accommodations on child and family well-being.