Developmental disorders and multisensory perception

This chapter presents a review of research concerning multisensory processing impairments in three developmental disorders: developmental coordination disorder (DCD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and developmental dyslexia (DD). By comparing multisensory processes across these three disorders, a number of similarities in sensory responses were noted (e.g., hypo- and hyper-sensitivity to sensory information, sensorimotor impairments). This chapter discusses whether multisensory processing abnormalities could represent a particular vulnerability or, perhaps more importantly, a particular risk factor in atypical development. Within and across disorders, possible developmental trajectories that may have led to such impairments are examined. Finally, the need for further multisensory research in developmental disorders is highlighted, and avenues for future research explored.