Exploring the Relationship between Exteroception and Interoception in Neurotypical and Neurodivergent Populations

Sensory differences are frequently reported within the population perhaps being most commonly associated with different neurodivergent conditions. This includes in autistic individuals, where up to 96% of people have reported sensory differences (Crane et al., 2009), as well as in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Whether these differences are associated with being either hyper or hypo-sensitive to sensory stimuli, there is a growing appreciation for the adverse effects they can have on a person's emotional and social wellbeing. It is therefore critical to understand what is underlying these differences which, in turn, will help to develop vital interventions to better help and support the neurodivergent population.

With the growing appreciation for the impact and frequency of sensory differences, research has begun to study how these senses are different focusing heavily on the basic external senses including: touch, smell, sight, sound and taste. An area that is rapidly gaining attention, however, is the differences in the internal sensory system within the neurodiverse population. This includes precepts such as interoception (an understanding of what is happening inside the body) and proprioception (knowing where the body is in space). Work conducted by Chen et al. (2021) has highlighted how both the internal and external systems may be interacting in a crucial way to regulate the sensory experience. From this, it can therefore be questioned as to whether this is underlying the differences in sensory experiences. Understanding whether these systems are interacting differently will be crucial to develop a better understanding as to why these differences emerge as well as focus interventions to target specific regulatory differences within the population.

The proposed study aims to take advantage of virtual reality MIRAGE illusion technology to systematically manipulate the relationship between the external and internal sensory systems to better...