Effects of Sensory Diets: A Single Subject Study

ABSTRACT To compare the effect of sensory diets on children’s sensory processing, psychosocial skills, and classroom engagement to a control intervention of non-therapeutic fine-motor or visual activities. A single-subject ABCA experimental design was used with five children attending prekindergarten through fourth-grade special education in an urban public school. Investigators measured target behaviors individualized for each participant in sensory processing skills, psychosocial skills, and classroom engagement. Data were analyzed visually and statistically. Sensory diets may have changed participants’ sensory processing, psychosocial skills, and classroom engagement behaviors. However, target behaviors for each participant responded to sensory diets differently. Control intervention of non-therapeutic fine-motor visual activities did not change these behaviors. Positive and individualized changes in sensory processing, psychosocial, and classroom engagement behaviors were noted for each of the five children when sensory diets were administered in brief sessions throughout a school day. Changes did not occur in response to control intervention sessions indicating the sensory aspects of the intervention may have had influence. Future study is needed to demonstrate a causal relationship between sensory diets and classroom behaviors.