Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often exhibit sensory over-responsivity (SOR), which is characterized by an overwhelmingly negative reaction to or avoidance of sensory stimulation. Despite the detrimental effects of SOR on people’s personal and social lives, the knowledge of and interventions for the issue remain limited. This paper collates and reviews studies on SOR and information on the potential for effective interventions for people with ASD. This review reveals evidence that SOR has a close relationship with anxiety, depression, insomnia, and family life impairment and an underlying mechanism related to SOR. Four interventions and their theoretical bases in sensory-motor processing are discussed in this paper, namely, physical activity (PA), sensory integration therapy (SIT), mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT), and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). These interventions focus on establishing coping strategies for regulating the emotional response to sensory information, and they have been found to be effective and to have the potential to help children with ASD reduce their SOR behaviors. This paper provides guidance for selecting appropriate interventions and for further investigation of more effective interventions in the future.

Purpose of Review: This review synthesizes the current literature on event-related potential (ERP) responses to auditory stimulation in individuals with autism spectrum development (ASD), highlighting key findings across various ERP components and stages of auditory processing. Recent Findings: Studies have documented atypicality in early sensory ERP components like the P1 and N1 in ASD, suggesting impairments in initial auditory registration and detection of changes. Findings related to the mismatch negativity (MMN), an index of pre-attentive auditory discrimination, reveal both enhanced and diminished responses, underscoring heterogeneity within the ASD population. Later components associated with auditory attention and resource allocation (N2, P3a, P3b) also exhibit atypicality, indicating difficulties in stimulus classification, attentional orienting, and context updating. Some studies report that increased P3a amplitudes, suggesting hyper-responsivity at the attentional level. ERP components have been linked to co-occurring issues like behavior problems and psychosis risk in ASD. Summary: This review highlights a complex pattern of auditory processing differences in ASD, with evidence of both enhanced and diminished capabilities across various ERP components. These differences may contribute to sensory sensitivities, communication challenges, and co-occurring conditions observed in ASD. The findings underscore the need for further research to elucidate neural mechanisms, explore individual variability, and develop tailored interventions. The complex interplay between sensory processing, attention, and cognitive functions, as well as the heterogeneity within the ASD population, presents challenges but also opportunities for advancing our understanding and improving outcomes.