How do I know if my child has SPD?
The following checklist below includes behaviors that are commonly seen in children with sensory processing disorder or SPD. When more than a few symptoms are found an OT evaluation may help determine if your child has SPD.
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Infants and Toddlers
☞ My infant/toddler has problems eating.
☞ My infant/toddler refused to go to anyone but me.
☞ My infant/toddler has trouble falling asleep or staying asleep.
☞ My infant/toddler is extremely irritable when I dress him/her; seems to be uncomfortable in clothes.
☞ My infant/toddler rarely plays with toys, especially those requiring dexterity.
☞ My infant/toddler has difficulty shifting focus from one object/activity to another.
☞ My infant/toddler does not notice pain or is slow to respond when hurt.
☞ My infant/toddler resists cuddling, arches back away from the person holding him.
☞ My infant/toddler cannot calm self by sucking on a pacifier, looking at toys, or listening to my voice.
☞ My infant/toddler has a “floppy” body, bumps into things and has poor balance.
☞ My infant/toddler does little or no babbling, vocalizing.
☞ My infant/toddler is easily startled.
☞ My infant/toddler is extremely active and is constantly moving body/limbs or runs endlessly.
☞ My infant/toddler seems to be delayed in crawling, standing, walking or running.
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Pre-schoolers
☞ My child has difficulty being toilet trained.
☞ My child is overly sensitive to stimulation, overreacts to or does not like touch, noise, smells, etc.
☞ My child is unaware of being touched/bumped unless done with extreme force/intensity.
☞ My child has difficulty learning and/or avoids performing fine motor tasks such as using crayons and fasteners on clothing.
☞ My child seems unsure how to move his/her body in space, is clumsy and awkward.
☞ My child has difficulty learning new motor tasks.
☞ My child is in constant motion.
☞ My child walks on her toes.
☞ My child gets in everyone else’s space and/or touches everything around him.
☞ My child has difficulty making friends (overly aggressive or passive/ withdrawn).
☞ My child is intense, demanding or hard to calm and has difficulty with transitions.
☞ My child has sudden mood changes and temper tantrums that are unexpected.
☞ My child seems weak, slumps when sitting/standing; prefers sedentary activities.
☞ It is hard to understand my child’s speech.
☞ My child does not seem to understand verbal instructions.
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Grade-schoolers
☞ My child is overly sensitive to stimulation, overreacts to or does not like touch, noise, smells, etc.
☞ My child is easily distracted in the classroom, often out of his/her seat, fidgety.
☞ My child is easily overwhelmed at the playground, during recess and in class.
☞ My child is slow to perform tasks.
☞ My child has difficulty performing or avoids fine motor tasks such as handwriting.
☞ My child appears clumsy and stumbles often, slouches in chair.
☞ My child craves rough housing, tackling/wrestling games.
☞ My child is slow to learn new activities.
☞ My child is in constant motion.
☞ My child walks on her toes.
☞ My child has difficulty learning new motor tasks and prefers sedentary activities.
☞ My child has difficulty making friends (overly aggressive or passive/ withdrawn).
☞ My child ‘gets stuck’ on tasks and has difficulty changing to another task.
☞ My child confuses similar sounding words, misinterprets questions or requests.
☞ My child has difficulty reading, especially aloud.
☞ My child stumbles over words; speech lacks fluency, and rhythm is hesitant.
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Adolescents/Adults
☞ I am over-sensitive to environmental stimulation: I do not like being touched.
☞ I avoid visually stimulating environments and/or I am sensitive to sounds.
☞ I often feel lethargic and slow in starting my day.
☞ I often begin new tasks simultaneously and leave many of them uncompleted.
☞ I use an inappropriate amount of force when handling objects.
☞ I often bump into things or develop bruises that I cannot recall.
☞ I have difficulty learning new motor tasks, or sequencing steps of a task.
☞ I need physical activities to help me maintain my focus throughout the day.
☞ I have difficulty staying focused at work and in meetings.
☞ I misinterpret questions and requests, requiring more clarification than usual.
☞ I have difficulty reading, especially aloud.
☞ My speech lacks fluency, I stumble over words.
☞ I must read material several times to absorb the content.
☞ I have trouble forming thoughts and ideas in oral presentations.