Describing Pre-Post Changes Observed During the Implementation of a Snoezelen Program in a Real-School Context.

Abstract

Sensory alterations affect 90% of individuals with autism and have been recognized in the DSM-5 as a diagnostic criterion. These alterations often exacerbate emotional stress and may increase levels of anxiety, impacting everyday life activities. The general objective of this work is to assess the changes before and after a multisensory stimulation program aimed at improving sensory processing, repetitive behaviors, and adaptation to the environment in a sample of students with ASD. Twenty-seven schoolchildren participated (M = 10.04, SD = 4.24), with different levels of impairment, diagnosed by specialized teams. The design included a pretest and post-test condition. The results highlight significant improvements in the assessed areas. The Sensory Profile-2, the Bodfish Repetitive Behavior Scale, and the Vineland Scale were administered. The results suggest that changes may be conditioned by the student profile. The profiles that benefited the most in terms of sensory profile and repetitive behaviors were students with levels 1 and 3; meanwhile, students with level 2 did not show improvements in these areas but did show gains in overall adaptation, as measured by the Vineland Scale.