The heritable factors that underlie autism significantly overlap with those that influence unusual sensory responses, a new study of more than 12,000 twin pairs suggests¹.

The findings reinforce the idea that sensory sensitivities are a core feature of autism. They also hint that a better understanding of the genetic factors underlying sensory responses could reveal insights into autism.

Still, experts caution that the link is preliminary because the study focused on only one form of sensory sensitivity.

Up to 90 percent of people with autism are either overly sensitive to sound, sight, taste, smell or touch, or barely notice them at all. Some seek out sensations by, for example, spinning in circles or stroking items with particular textures. Since 2013, the “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders” has included sensory sensitivities in the list of diagnostic criteria for autism.

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