The active self in autism: multisensory and sensorimotor foundations of bodily self-representation.

Abstract

The active self, understood as the embodied sense of self arising from goal-directed action and interaction with the environment, is supported by sensorimotor processes including multisensory integration and proprioception. Atypical self-representation in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been proposed to relate to differences in these processes. To clarify this relationship, we conducted a systematic conceptual review of 37 empirical studies published between 2010 and August 2025 examining multisensory and bodily components of the active self in ASD. The literature was synthesized across three themes: (1) multisensory integration, (2) self-bias and self-other differentiation, and (3) motor underpinnings of bodily awareness. Across studies, autistic participants frequently showed differences in multisensory timing and weighting, including reduced or delayed susceptibility to some bodily ownership illusions and greater reliance on proprioceptive or immediate sensory information. Evidence also indicated differences in the flexibility of peri- and interpersonal space, self-other differentiation, agency-related processing, and motor planning and execution. However, findings were not uniform across paradigms, developmental stages, or participant groups, with relatively preserved performance reported under some unimodal or low-noise conditions. Together, these findings support an association between multisensory and sensorimotor processing and several components of bodily self-representation in autism, while substantial methodological and sample heterogeneity limits strong causal or clinical conclusions. Future research should prioritize larger and more representative samples, longitudinal and multimethod designs, standardized experimental paradigms, and objective measures of embodiment to determine whether these mechanisms can ultimately inform individualized assessment and intervention.Clinical trial number Not applicable.