ArticleThe American journal of occupational therapy : official publication of the American Occupational Therapy Association
Clinical Utility of Multisensory Environments for People With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: A Scoping Review.
Article in The American journal of occupational therapy : official publication of the American Occupational Therapy Association. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
13 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 44 citations in OpenAlex.
- The use of multisensory environments in children and adults with autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review.Autism : the international journal of research and practice · 2025Pooled it
- Effects of sensory room intervention on autonomic function in healthy adults: A pilot randomized controlled trial.PloS one · 2025Trial
- Enhancing adaptation and learning in educational environments (SENSE project): a case series study.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2026Article
- A Technology System to Help People With Multiple Disabilities Increase Contact With Objects and Control Environmental Stimulation: Single-Case Research Design.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologies · 2025Article
- Article
- Sensory approaches for adults with severe or profound and multiple learning disabilities: A systematic literature review.The British journal of occupational therapy · 2024Review
- Euterpe music therapy methodology and procedure algorithms.Frontiers in neurology · 2024Article
- Neurodivergent patient experience in a tertiary children's hospital-a qualitative analysis.Frontiers in pediatrics · 2024Article
- Snoezelen in people with intellectual disability or dementia: A systematic review.International journal of nursing studies advances · 2023Review
- Disabled People or Their Support Persons' Perceptions of a Community Based Multi-Sensory Environment (MSE): A Mixed-Method Study.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023Article
- PROTOCOL: The effectiveness of sensory interventions targeted at improving occupational outcomes, quality of life, well-being and behavioural and psychological symptoms for older adults living with dementia: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Campbell systematic reviews · 2023Article
- Risk of Neurotoxicity with Multiple General Anaesthetics for Examination Under Anaesthesia in Paediatric Ophthalmology - A Cause for Concern?Clinical ophthalmology (Auckland, N.Z.) · 2023Article
- A microswitch-aided program to enable people with extensive multiple disabilities to control environmental stimulation through different responses.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
importanceAdults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are twice as likely as their peers without disabilities to have had a physical exam in the past year; however, as a result of challenging behavior during office visits, they are significantly less likely to have received recommended health screenings. Challenging behaviors in clinical settings have been identified as a barrier to providing adequate care for this population.
objectiveThis scoping review examined the within-session effects of multisensory environments (MSEs) on people with IDD to determine the clinical utility of MSEs for this population. DATA SOURCES: Studies published between January 1, 2000, and August 1, 2018, were identified using Summon and Google Scholar. STUDY SELECTION: Studies were included in the review if they systematically collected and reported data on within-session effects of an MSE intervention on people with IDD.
findingsThirteen studies met criteria for this review: 4 with Level I evidence, 2 with Level II evidence, 3 with Level III evidence, and 4 with Level IV evidence. Studies examined the effects of MSEs on maladaptive behaviors, positive behaviors, distress and discomfort, activity and alertness states, and cost of care for people with IDD. CONCLUSION AND RELEVANCE: Preliminary support was found for the use of MSEs in clinical settings to reduce anxiety and challenging behaviors in patients with IDD during clinical care. Further research is needed to determine the efficacy of MSEs for producing the effects described in this review. WHAT THIS ARTICLE ADDS: The findings support the potential of MSEs as a tool that occupational therapy practitioners can use to support their clients with IDD who have sensory sensitivities in clinical settings. This article also highlights a multidisciplinary approach whereby medical providers and occupational therapy practitioners could work together in nontraditional ways to support this population.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.