Atypical sensory response to skin softness seen in ASD

Individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) appear to exhibit atypical sensory responses to objects that are similar in softness to human skin, according to researchers in Japan.

Kai Makita and colleagues asked 36 adults with ASD and 36 neurotypical adults to estimate the perceived pleasantness and softness of objects made of urethane rubber while pressing the objects with an index finger. They found that while ratings of pleasantness increased as a function of compliance (a measure of softness), this increase was significantly smaller for individuals with ASD, “particularly at compliance levels including human body parts.” In contrast, both groups estimated the softness of the objects similarly.

The researchers say, “Our findings support the idea that among individuals with ASD, tactile preferences for textures are less adapted to the characteristics of the human body. It is possible that individuals with ASD may not easily tolerate being touched by others because they do not favor the compliance of objects lightly touching their skin. According to the social motivation hypothesis, such atypical tactile preferences in individuals with ASD might make positive tactile interactions with peers less rewarding, thereby reducing the motivation for social communication and interactions. This aligns with the notion that atypical responses to touch may pose a risk of difficulties in the development of age-appropriate social and self-regulatory behaviors.”

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Citations

“Atypical tactile preferences in autism spectrum disorder: Reduced pleasantness responses to soft objects resembling human body parts,” Kai Makita, Ryo Kitada, Takuya Makino, Nodoka Sakakihara, Ayaka Fukuoka, and Hirotaka Kosaka, Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, March 12, 2025 (free online). Address: Ryo Kitada, Graduate School of Intercultural Studies, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan, [email protected].