ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: We sought to determine whether children with sensory processing disorder (SPD) differ from typically developing children on a neurophysiological measure, the P300 component of event-related potentials produced in response to brief auditory stimulation. METHOD: We used electroencephalographic measures (i.e., N200 and P300 components) to examine auditory processing in 20 children with SPD and 71 typically developing children, ages 5-10 yr. RESULTS: Children with SPD demonstrated significantly smaller P300 amplitudes and shorter N200 latencies than typically developing children. Brain activity correctly distinguished children with SPD from typically developing children with 77% accuracy. We also found a significant relationship between the neurophysiological measures and functional performance on sensory and motor tasks. CONCLUSION: This study presents empirical evidence that children with SPD display unique brain processing mechanisms compared with typical children and, therefore, provide further evidence for the neural deviations associated with SPD.
