METHODS 

Subjects

Inclusion criteria

             The study consist of two populations. Participants who were chosen were children diagnosed with sensory processing disorder (SPD). Some of the participants chosen were previously diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) based on the DSM-5 and sensory processing disorder by their therapist. The age range was between children that were 5 and 10 years old and the gender was boys. The two groups that were in the study consisted of twenty boys with autism and sensory processing disorder and then twenty boys with only sensory processing disorder. There was a total of 40 boys within the age range of 5 and 10 years old. The participants with autism were all able talk. The two groups of boys were then separated to smaller groups which broke into ten boys in each group so there was four groups in total. The first group consisted of ten boys with autism and SPD, the second group had ten boys with autism and SPD and this group was taking textured game card therapy. The third group consisted of ten boys with SPD only, the fourth group had ten boys with SPD and were taking the textured card game therapy. The subjects were recruited from a occupational therapy office by an evaluator from the clinic. All the subjects were children under age and the parents were motivated to let the children join the study by the idea of more research being made within the sensory processing disorder field; as well the subjects parents were offered four months of free occupational therapy.

Exclusions criteria

            All children that were not within the sensory processing disorder spectrum, as well patients that were not within the autism spectrum, children that had other processing disorders such as visual, and auditory.

Materials

The materials used were game playing cards the size of index cards, an occupational therapy and fMRI machines. The cards had items with different textures. Some of the cards consisted of a picture of a bunny and had the white faux fur of the bunnies fur so the children can actually feel the softness of the bunny. The occupational therapist is the therapist that will be giving the children textured card game therapy for those taking the therapy, the rest of the children who aren’t taking the card game therapy will only be taking occupational therapy. The fMRI images will be used to see the children’s brain activity when they are touching the cards. During the MRI exam the signals are sent to the computer to record the results (Magnetic Resonance 2016). The electrical signals are then converted into waves on the computer and that’s how they are recorded (Magnetic Resonance 2016).

Procedures

The conditions being compared in this experiment was children with sensory processing disorder (SPD) and children with ASD and SPD. The idea of the subject is to use textured card came as a therapeutic intervention for children with sensory processing disorder. The subjects that were not taking the card game therapy were asked to attend their regular sections of occupational therapy. The subjects in the group with card game therapy were not attending occupational therapy sections only card game therapy. The goal of the card game therapy is to help the children with sensory process disorder to improve their sensory abilities. All the subjects were asked to play with the boys in their group a card game and they had to determine the animal on the card and how the textured felt and if they liked it or not. Before the fMRI scanning the participants were to practice in a similar setting for the cause of them not getting panic and for them to be familiar to the setting. As well the mock MRI scanner was to avoid un still movements of the participants. Prior to the MRI the patients parents were asked to make sure the hair of the participants is clean and no oils or lotions are in the hair due to that it might cause difficulties attaching the foils of wire to the scalp. The day of the MRI exam patients were to enter the MRI scanner, they were to lay down and the radiologist will set them up and tell them to stay still. The stimuli used during all three trials of the fMRI exams were the textured cards using three different textures. The three textures included soft, rough, and hard. The subjects were to touch the cards and the brain activity will be recorded as they touch the cards. There were four trials in the study using the fMRI images and they were separated within one month each.