Atypical Affective Touch in Autism Spectrum Disorder: Integrating Neural, Cognitive, and Developmental Perspectives

Affective touch, a form of tactile stimulation conveying emotional and social significance, plays a key role in early development and interpersonal bonding. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), a neurodevelopmental condition marked by atypical social and emotional processing, has been linked to altered sensitivity and responsiveness to affective touch. However, systematic understanding of how affective touch is processed in ASD, particularly across behavioural and neural levels, remains limited. This review synthesises current findings on affective touch perception in individuals with ASD, with reference to both behavioural studies and neurophysiological evidence. In order to explain the observed abnormalities, we propose an integrated neurocognitive developmental framework that connects early physiological atypicalities to the mature cognitive-affective profile. This review highlights significant implications of the developmental trajectory of affective touch in ASD and directs the translation of these findings into targeted intervention strategies aimed at enhancing social-affective communication.