Sensory Processing Disorder and Autism

Are Autism and Sensory Integration Dysfunction (now called Sensory Processing Disorder) the same?
Are they related?
Do you have to have SPD to have Autism? And vice versa?

Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) is a neurological disorder that causes difficulties with processing information from the five senses: vision, auditory, touch, olfaction, and taste, as well as from the sense of movement (vestibular system), and/or the positional sense (proprioception). For those with SPD, sensory information is sensed, but perceived abnormally. Unlike blindness or deafness, sensory information is received by people with SPD; the difference is that information is processed by the brain in an unusual way that causes distress, discomfort, and confusion.

Although a sensory processing disorder is not considered a qualifying characteristic for a diagnosis of autism, many people on the autism spectrum have challenges in this area.

Does this mean that if a person has a sensory processing disorder, he or she has autism? No, it does not. People may experience a sensory processing disorder, but not show any diagnostic signs of autism.

Read more about Autism and Sensory Processing Disorder