Hyper-responsiveness to touch mediates social dysfunction in adults with autism spectrum disorders

This study investigated whether hyper-responsiveness to touch serves as a mediating variable that predicts social dysfunction in adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Data were obtained from all adults with administratively defined intellectual disability in a region in Sweden (n = 915, where 143 had ASD). A multiple mediation modeling analysis revealed a well-fitted model (Satorra-Bentler scaled chi-square = 10.91, df = 7, p = 0.14, CFI = 0.99, RMSEA = 0.025), demonstrating that social dysfunction among adults with ASD was completely mediated by hyper-responsiveness to touch followed by impairment of speech and aggressive/destructive behavior. The results demonstrated that in adulthood, the tactile sensory system is foundational for social functioning in people with ASD, with diagnosis and intervention implications. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.